Thanks for the Memories
by nikkimurray
Summary: Set in the near future. Jenny is unhappy, but what's done is done, and now she has to try and move on.
1. Trying to forget

**Hmm, I'm still not entirely sure about this story, but I've written the first chapter anyway :) I might leave it as a one-shot, not sure yet! Let me know your thoughts! x **

Chapter 1

Jenny paced nervously around her bedroom, feeling both unsettled and impatient. Every now and then, she pulled back the scarlet curtain to glance absently down the street before resuming her pacing again. She cursed inwardly, knowing that she shouldn't let the thought of seeing him turn her into the blithering mess she was now, but she couldn't help it - it was the same every other weekend. She knew they had to get along and both try and act like adults, but every time she opened the door to him, she felt like she was transported back to five years ago. One look from those eyes, and she felt herself being reeled in again. That's why she always kept their encounter's as brief as possible, never letting him stay long, and refusing point-blank his insistence that they needed to talk. What would they have to talk about? Everything had been said months ago, and it was all over now. All that was left for her to do was try and piece the scattered shards of her life back together and find some way of carrying on without him.

She had never wanted things to turn out like this. There was a time that they had been happy together, but that period of her life seemed like a dream that she had been shook awake from violently. Perching on the side of her bed, she let a sigh escape from her lips as she closed her eyes. Yes, there had been very good moments; she remembered them well. But why think about it? There was no way back, and there was no point in torturing herself by going over everything and tearing herself apart over the finer sub-text of each crossed word. What had happened had happened, and she needed to try and forget about it. Try and look forward.

"Mummy, mummy, mummy!" Ben's enthusiastic voice rang through the landing.

Standing up immediately and hurriedly straightening out her skirt with her hands, she hitched a fake smile on her face just as her three-year-old son rounded the corner, skidding on the rug in his excitement.

"Dad's here!" he continued, his face shining with happiness. "He's in the dar!"

"The car," Jenny corrected him with a smile, pulling back the curtain to peer into the street again.

She saw him getting out of that tin can of a car he insisted on driving - 'a classic', he had called it. She glanced back down at Ben's cute face alive with anticipation, and batted away the twinge of jealousy she felt at his excitement. He _should_ be looking forward to spending time with his father; it didn't mean he loved her any less. Still, she wondered if he was this excited when he was getting dropped off back home.

Ben was the image of his father, which made things even more difficult. Same colour and shaped eyes, same nose, same chin; his features were a constant reminder of the man she had once promised herself to. The only mark Jenny's genes had seemed to have made was the brown hair that sat in a mop of untidiness, despite her constant attempts to tame it.

"Come on then," she sighed, letting the curtain fall back into place slowly.

She bent down and picked him up, ignoring his protests that he could 'walk his self' and carried him down the stairs, her heels clicking on the wooden floorboards. She put him down when they reached the bottom, and he immediately ran off to the front door, bobbing up and down impatiently as the doorbell rang. With a sinking feeling, she opened the door slowly.

And there he was.

As handsome as ever, of course. As his eyes crept up to meet hers, she felt her stomach back-flip.

Still, after all these years, the effect he had on her had never changed.

"Dad!" Ben shouted eagerly, elbowing his way past Jenny's legs and into his father's arms.

"Hey little man," his dad beamed, lifting him up high. "If you don't stop growing, you'll be taller than me soon."

"Really?" Ben asked, his face glowing.

"Sweetie, why don't you go and get your shoes and coat from your room," Jenny interrupted, trying to keep her voice as warm as possible when addressing her son.

Reluctantly, Ben was put back down and ran off in pursuit of his things, leaving Jenny alone with her ex. An awkward tension hovered between them as she held the door half open.

"Do you want to - ?" she asked, pointing behind her, indicating that he should come in.

"Please," he nodded politely, stepping into the hall; she caught the distinct smell of his aftershave as he brushed past her, and to her complete frustration, her heart skipped a beat.

She made a point of keeping the door open to ensure that he understood that he was not staying long. He hovered in the hallway, looking wary as he stared at her, obviously wanting her to speak first.

"Umm - so, what have you two got planned this weekend then?" she asked in an annoyingly unsteady voice.

He shrugged. "I was thinking of taking him to the cinema tonight to see that film he's been banging on about. And then tomorrow, I was going to take him swimming."

"Don't you need his swimming things then?"

"No, I've got some things in my place from the last time."

"Oh, right," Jenny nodded, desperately wishing that Ben would hurry up; she didn't know how much of this casual conversation she could stomach.

After a few seconds of silence, he spoke again, clearly not enjoying the suffocating air between them.

"Have you got any plans this weekend?" he asked quietly, his hands in his pockets and his gaze set determinately at the floor.

"Not really," she answered, unable to stop her voice sounding cold. "I might go out tomorrow night."

"That's nice," he nodded, half glancing up at her. She felt his eyes linger on her legs, and reluctantly it seemed, travel up to her chest, making her feel like she was being examined. She flushed, and he seemed to remember himself and looked away abruptly. "You, look - you look great . . ." he stammered.

"Thanks," she said, feeling her heart soften slightly.

He pulled his hand out of his pocket and ran it through his windswept hair in a way that she still found so adorable that for a wild, fleeting second, she had to fight the urge to close the gap between them and pull his mouth onto hers. She gulped and everted her gaze from his lips, her eyes instead falling on his finger, and with a pang, she noticed that he still stubbornly wore his wedding ring. She herself had stopped putting hers on a while ago. It wasn't so much that she had wanted to stop wearing it, but more because she grew tired of feeling tears well up every time she glanced down at it. For some reason, it made her feel self-conscious that he still brazenly wore his ring, and automatically, she put her arm behind her back.

He looked on the verge of saying something, but before he could open his mouth, Ben came crashing back into the hall with the velcro on his shoes sticking up and attempting to put his coat on the wrong arm.

Glad of a reason to cut their conversation short, Jenny bent down to do up his shoes properly, and fix his coat. "Now, you be a good boy for your dad, okay?" she said to him warmly.

"Yes mummy," he said with his cute little lisp.

"Okay," she smiled at him, doing up his zip. "Kiss."

Ben lent in and kissed her on the cheek, and threw his tiny arms around her neck. "I love you mummy," he said, his voice muffled in her hair.

"I love you too," she said softly, feeling a familiar lump in her throat as they broke apart; she hated not having him on these weekends.

"And I'll see you on Sunday," she added to Ben's father, who nodded.

"Yeah, see you then," he replied, holding her gaze for a little too long. After a moments hesitation, he leaned forward and rested his hand on her shoulder, clumsily pecking her on the cheek, before turning his attention to his son. "Want a race to the car?"

"Yes!" Ben shouted excitedly, running past him and out into the front garden.

Jenny waved goodbye to her son before closing the door after them, finally able to drop the fake smile. She leaned her back against it with a sigh, squeezing her eyes shut against the painful throbbing in her heart.

No matter how much time went by, no matter how much she thought she had changed, he was still him.

"Nick," she whispered to herself, touching her fingers to her cheek were he had left a warm, breathy kiss.


	2. The beginning of the end

**Okay, I've been persuaded! It probably won't be as long as my last sory, but we'll see were it goes :) The bits in italics are memories, but if it gets a bit annoying reading it like that, let me no and I'll use another way to seperate the past and present in future chapters. I'm going to aim to put flashbacks in to slowly piece together what had happened between them, although they won't be in order. **

**So anyways, hope you like :D **

**

* * *

**

Chapter 2

Jenny flopped herself down on the couch, kicking her shoes off with a sigh and curling her feet underneath her. For lack of anything better to do, she picked up the remote to flick absently through the television, barely taking in what programmes were on. After a while, she gave up and threw the remote onto the table, sinking deeper down into the cushions. She hated the silence that these weekends brought; she missed hearing Ben playing with his toys. Missed hearing him running around the house like a lunatic. Missed him crawling into her bed at all hours of the morning when he'd had a bad dream. But it's not like she could refuse to let Cutter have him; that wouldn't be fair on him, and it certainly wouldn't be fair on Ben - he loved his father so much, and he would only end up hating Jenny for keeping them apart. No, it was better this way. Maybe these free weekends would give her the opportunity to pull her life back together. She glanced at the phone, half considering calling Sarah or Abby to see if they were free to get together, but if she was honest with herself, she really couldn't be bothered going out tonight. Maybe the next night, when she was feeling a little more herself.

In truth, she hadn't been getting together as much with Abby and Sarah since the anomalies had stopped. Like Jenny, Abby had also left the ARC if favour of a job as a senior keeper at her old haunt, Wellington Zoo. Jenny was the only other person who left; seeing as there were no more creature incursions, there was no need for her to remain in the position as a PR person for the team. Not long after, she had gotten a new job as a representative of a pharmaceutical company, but she and Abby were told to be ready incase, for some reason, the anomalies started up again. Cutter, Connor and Sarah had remained at the ARC for research purposes, looking into how the anomalies came to be in the first place, and trying to predict if and when they will occur again.

Jenny was sad to leave the ARC, but she knew it was the right thing to do; at the time, she had had a two-year-old to look after. Now, however, she realised that it had been one of the best decisions of her life. Now that she and Cutter were separated, it was a massive relief to know that she didn't have to see him every day - it made things much easier.

She couldn't help her thoughts drifting to how it used to be before the _incident _had happened. She had fell for Cutter in a way that she hadn't even thought possible before they'd met. She had felt indescribably drawn to him, and when they had finally become a couple, it just felt right. They were the most unconventional couple ever of course, and attempting to fit a relationship around dinosaur hunting wasn't an easy feat, but they were happy. Jenny couldn't help a ghost of a smile appear on her lips as she remembered how he had proposed to her.

x x x

"_How the hell did you persuade me into this?" Jenny snapped at Cutter as she threw a trail of bird seed behind them; a little group of Ornithomimus followed close behind, pecking at the muddy seed-strewn ground._

"_With my dashing good looks and natural charisma?" he suggested with a slight smile as he threw a handful of bird-feed himself, watching the ostridge-like dinosaurs fondly._

_Jenny snorted in way of a reply, although inwardly, she was smiling. He was such a arrogant git sometimes - although he was probably right on this particular occasion. Not that she'd ever admit that to him._

"_Right, give me the bag," he said as they came up to the anomaly, gesturing at the seeds she was holding. _

_She handed them to him, and he paused waiting for the creatures to catch up. Once they had assembled in a slightly intimidating ring around them, Cutter threw the remainder of the bird-feed towards the anomaly. Upon hind sight, it was a very bad idea. Immediately, the dinosaurs scurried past them towards the flickering light, completely knocking both Jenny and Cutter off their feet in the fray._

_Jenny landed on her back, slap-bang in a puddle of muddy water, and groaned in pain as Cutter fell on top of her, hard. The dinosaurs were all sprinting one by one into the anomaly, seeking their easy meal. Crying out in shock as the icy water soaked through her thin clothes, she felt the ground stop shaking, telling her that the creatures had all gone back to their own time, leaving Jenny and Cutter entangled together in a puddle. The mud squelched against her horribly, causing her to shudder. She was about to let her shock out as anger and blame it all on Cutter, but before she could form an argument, she felt Cutter shaking on top of her with laughter. Then, unexpected to even herself, Jenny started to giggle as well, finding his amusement infectious. She looked up at him and he beamed back down at her, raising a damp hand and brushing away a bit of dirt from her cheek. Caught up in the intimacy of it, she leaned forward and pressed her wet lips against his, and he kissed her back, running his hand up her side in a way that made her tingle._

_When he pulled away, he whispered something against her lips - something that made her heart stop._

_She jerked her head away from him, studying his face, but his expression remained the same._

"_What - what did you just say?" she gapped when she finally found her voice again._

"_Marry me," he said again in a more forceful tone._

"_Are - are you crazy?" she gasped, wondering if he was joking or not._

"_Probably," he said with a smile. "But that doesn't mean I'm not serious." _

_She was about to tell him to get a grip - like she'd ever accept a marriage proposal whilst they were sopping wet in a dirty puddle! But the words stuck in her throat before she could get them out, and she remained silent, staring into those piercing blue eyes that she so often found herself getting lost in these days._

"_Yes," she breathed eventually, taking both herself and Cutter by surprise. _

"_Really?" he said, his tone more serious now._

"_Yes," she repeated immediately, knowing that she had probably lost her marbles. It was madness - they hadn't even been dating that long! But she loved him; it had taken her enough time to realise that, and there was no way she was going to let him slip through her fingers._

_He grinned in a very un-Cutter like way and took her lips again, as usual conveying his uncanny ability to communicate better through his actions rather than his words._

x x x

The memory cut into her hard, and she pressed her finger tips into her eyes to try and release some of the tension. But the recollection kept on flowing, and she seemed to be powerless to stop it. They were in love, and for a long time they were happy together. Blissful even. Although she remembered thinking that it was all going to fall apart when she found out she was pregnant.

x x x

_Jenny gripped the side of the toilet bowl, her head spinning as she retched again, unable to draw a breath before the next wave of sickness washed over her. What she hated most about this was she never got sick, and yet here she was, off work, and vomiting unstoppably into the toilet. As the nausea subsided, she sat back on the bathroom floor with a groan, pushing her sweat-dampened hair away from her face._ _She didn't bother moving far away from the toilet, as she knew as soon as she did, a fresh batch of sickness would envelop her. With another groan, she buried her head in her hands. What the hell was wrong with her? She hadn't felt like this since she had been given food poisoning on a holiday in Thailand. But she knew it__ couldn't be food poisoning this time - she had barely eaten anything all week. Maybe she should go to the doctors? But knowing them, they'd just say she was pregnant -_

_At that thought, her head snapped up. She couldn't be . . . could she? She did a quick calculation in her head . . . oh dear . . . _

_She scowled to herself and ran her shaking hands over her face. How had she not realised sooner? She had been so busy with work and everything, but still, women were meant to know these things weren't they? Clutching her stomach as the nausea threatened to take over again, she staggered to her feet, leaning against the wall for support. She needed to know for sure._

_Later on that evening, she heard the door slam shut, telling her that Cutter was home. Heart hammering, she looked around as he strode into the room, smiling st her as soon as their gazes met. Oh God, how do you tell a man his life was about to change for ever? They had talked about children before they had gotten married, and they had both agreed without question that they shouldn't for the foreseeable future. After all, their job was very dangerous - it would be selfish and reckless of them to bring a child into this mess. The decision had sat very well with Jenny, as she had never been baby-crazy in the first place, and from the impression Cutter gave out, he wasn't exactly fatherhood material._

_Dear god, why did this have to happen? They were happy the way things were, and now everything was going to change. Worst still, would Cutter blame her for it? Would he think that she had purposely planned it? _

"_Hiya, are you feeling better?"_ _he asked kindly, kissing her on the forehead and taking a seat next to her on the couch. _

"_A little," she replied shortly, trying to steady her quivering voice - maybe she should wait a little longer before telling him . . ._

_She glanced around at him and saw that he was watching her with a concerned look on his face. _

"_What?" she asked bluntly._

_He gently pressed the back of his hand up against her cheek and then her forehead._

"_You're still quite clammy," he stated in a tense voice, pushing a strand of hair out of her face._

"_I'm fine," she insisted, jerking her head away from his cool touch._

_He sat back, frowning as he continued to watch her. "I'm taking you to the doctors tomorrow," he said in a tone that clearly implied there was to be no negotiation. _

"_No - "_

"_No arguments Jenny__," he interrupted sternly. "You've been ill for a week now." _

"_I'm telling you, I'm fine," she snapped, feeling flustered._

"_People don't just throw up for no reason you know!" he exclaimed hotly. "It's not normal - "_

"_Nick, if I thought it was something to worry about, I would go the doctors," she said in a friendlier tone, more because her abrasiveness was leading to more questions. "But I promise you, I'm fine."_

"_Well what's wrong then?" he pushed, clearly not letting the matter rest. "You're being sick all the time, you've lost your appetite, you've been feeling faint for days. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were . . ." he trailed off absently._

_Unable to stop herself, she looked up at him, knowing that he'd read everything in her eyes._

_His expression changed from impassive to completely dumfounded in a few seconds flat. _

"_Are . . . are you . . .?" he breathed, his eyes widening in shock. _

_She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before looking back around at him, nodding._

"_But - but how . . .?" he gapped, his face still frozen in a look of disbelief. _

_She let out a hollow laugh, even though there was nothing remotely funny about the situation. "Well if you need that explaining to you Nick - "_

"_No, I know how," he stammered, running his hand over his forehead. "It's just . . .wow . . ."_

"_I know," she sighed, not finding his reaction the least bit comforting. "I know it's huge, and it's not exactly what we planned, but - "_

_He cut her off by placing his hands on her shoulders, holding her firmly and looking her directly in the eye._

"_I have never been more thrilled about anything in my life," he said clearly. _

_Then he smiled, his eyes crinkling in happiness, and she felt a wave of relief wash over her. Everything was going to be fine._

x x x

Jenny opened her eyes, annoyed that she had allowed herself to reminisce for that long. What was the point? It was all in the past, and she shouldn't be digging it up again. All it would do is cause her more pain. She should just learn to be thankful of what she had; a beautiful son, a nice house, a well-paid job, and good friends.

What more could a person want?


	3. Old friends

**Lol, this is possibly the longest chapter ever!**

* * *

Chapter 3

On Saturday, with all her errands ran and her credit card spent, Jenny found herself in the same position she was in the previous night; curled on the couch with a bottle of wine for comfort. As she gazed down into the blood red liquid in her first glass, she suddenly found herself marveling at her own pitifulness. Five years ago, albeit before she joined the ARC, she had an enviable social life; expensive dinners, elegant functions, wild nights on the town with her many friends. She knew that when you got married and had a child, it was inevitable that things were to change in that respect, but this was bordering on pathetic! She was barely thirty three years old for goodness sake, and there she was, staying home on a free weekend alone like a fifty year old! She might not be with Nick anymore, but that was no reason to let her life slip her by in a blur.

Her mind made up, she leaned forward and picked up the phone, dialing Abby's number.

"Hello?" Abby's voice said politely.

"Hi, it's Jenny," she said, rather breathlessly. Now that she heard her voice, she had second thoughts - it was five o'clock on a Saturday evening; surely Abby would have plans already.

"Hiya!" Abby said eagerly, her tone sounding surprised. "I haven't heard off you in ages!"

"I know, I'm sorry," Jenny said, feeling a twang of guilt. "I've been so busy."

"How's Ben?"

"He's great thanks, Nick's got him for the weekend."

"So should I take it that you're free tonight then?" Abby asked, as usual displaying her impeccable astuteness.

"Yes . . ."

"So, do you fancy meeting up then?" she pushed.

"I could be persuaded," Jenny smiled, reclining back on the couch.

* * *

Abby perched on a bar stool on a table near the corner, Sarah beside her. Happily, she took a sip of her cocktail, letting the tangy flavour roll around her tongue. It was great to be out, she thought to herself, especially with Jenny and Sarah. Since leaving the ARC a year ago, it had become somewhat of a rarity for them all to get together for lack of time. Jenny was juggling single motherhood with working a full time job, Sarah was knee deep in ARC research for the most part, and Abby herself was busy with her senior position in the zoo. In fact, such was their separate lives now that Abby often found herself wishing for another anomaly to open to pull them all back together again. Of course, that was incredibly selfish, and every time she thought it, she felt ashamed - people were safe now; safe from past and future creatures, and for her to wish any different was terrible. Still, Abby couldn't deny that she longed for the days they worked together, not just for the company, but for the sheer thrill of the job. It was true that working at the zoo was rewarding for her; that is why she left the ARC in the first place. There was no longer any creatures for her to give her expertise on, and as research was lost on her, the only sensible option was to revisit her previous career path. Still, scooping up elephant dung every day hardly compared to chasing prehistoric creatures around London.

"How did she sound?" Sarah asked, dragging Abby's thoughts away from the ARC.

"Who?"

"Jenny?"

"She sounded just like Jenny," Abby answered, completely nonplus.

"No, I mean did she sound upset? Angry?" Sarah probed, stroking the steam of her wine glass, looking absorbed in deep thought.

"No, she just sounded normal, why?"

Sarah shrugged slightly, looking troubled about something, and Abby was fairly certain she knew what it was about. Sarah still worked with Cutter everyday, and so their separation would most likely have occupied her thoughts more.

"It's been six months," Abby reasoned, leaning forwards. "I think she's probably past the stage were she's dissolving into tears every five seconds."

"Yes, but that also means that the window of opportunity for her and Cutter getting back together has probably past as well," Sarah pointed out glumly.

"Give them more time, they'll figure it out," Abby sighed, patting her hand in comfort.

"Really?" Sarah said, her eyebrow raised in doubtfulness. "Mr and Mrs Stubborn?"

Abby hesitated for a moment, seeing her point. Jenny and Cutter were certainly the most obstinate people she'd ever met. Abby could tell by the rare times she had seen them together in the past six months, and by the way Jenny still spoke about him that they were both still head-over-heels in love with each other, but they were both too bloody proud to do anything about it. Still, she had no idea what had happened between the two of them; both had kept completely mum on the subject and Abby couldn't fathom what it was that had split them up. It was like one day they were the perfect family, and then the next Cutter was moving back into his old house that he had been renting out, and Jenny was completely numb. Abby and Connor had discussed it at great lengths, but neither of them could piece together the full picture; the only thing that made sense was that Cutter had cheated on her, but it seemed highly unlikely - he just wasn't that type of man, and besides, Jenny was gorgeous. Why would he ever do that? But something had defiantly happened, as happy couples with a child didn't just wake up one morning and decide that it wasn't working. And from the humility that Cutter seemed to bare, it appeared that whatever had occurred had been his fault. Still, surely it couldn't have been so bad that there was no possibility of a reconciliation?

"Maybe we could help them out a bit?" Abby said slowly, voicing her thought aloud.

"By doing what?" Sarah asked suspiciously.

"I don't know, you're the PhD, can't you think of anything?"

"Sorry, I must have missed the lecture on marriage counseling," Sarah answered sarcastically.

"Maybe . . ." Abby began, thinking hard.

"What?"

"Maybe we could pretend to set them both up on a blind date in the same place? Then they'd have to talk."

Sarah snorted. "You've been spending too much time with Connor! They'd figure that out, and if it all goes sideways, we'll get the blame."

"Or," Abby continued. "I could set Jenny up with someone . . . and you could 'accidently' tell Cutter about it."

"What would that achieve, except hurting Cutter?"

"It might light a fire under his backside," Abby pointed out, taking another sip of her drink.

"And what if Jenny actually falls for this mystery man, hmm?"

"She won't, not while she's still in love with Cutter," Abby said confidently.

"Then what makes you think she'll agree to this in the first place?" Sarah asked skeptically.

"Watch and learn, my friend, watch and learn," Abby winked at her as she spotted Jenny coming in the door.

* * *

Jenny saw both Abby and Sarah over in the corner, and smiled at them as she approached, feeling her fondness for both of them flow through her. It had been much too long since they had met up last, and Jenny vowed to herself that she would make more of an effort in the future; friends that had willingly risked their lives for her on many occasions were definitely worth holding on to. They exchanged the pleasantries, and Jenny got a round of cocktails in, determined to catch up on how many they had drank in her lateness.

For a while they kept the conversation light and cheerful, all wanting to know what the others had been doing since they had last met. Jenny could have willingly kept things like that all night, but as she knew, the touchy subject was bound to creep into conversation eventually.

"So what's Ben been up to?" Abby asked cheerfully. "Last time I saw him, he was reciting the alphabet backwards."

"Yes, he's a strange child," Jenny laughed as Sarah chuckled next to her. "He's so clever though. The other day, he asked me what a colour was. It blew my mind."

"What did you say?"

"I just gave examples like red and yellow," Jenny grimaced. "And he looked up at me like I was stupid and said 'no mummy, they _are _colours.' How on earth do you describe what a colour is?"

"A shade of . . ." Sarah began thoughtfully, before giving up and shaking her head. "I haven't a clue!"

"He's too clever for his own good," Jenny continued, feeling a rush of pride towards her son. "I swear, he makes me feel like an idiot sometimes."

"Well that's what you get for reproducing with a Professor - " Sarah pointed out, before stopping talking abruptly and looking down at the table.

Jenny felt her stomach twist uncomfortably as the conversation came dangerously close to Nick. Sarah and Abby both exchanged a awkward look, and shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

"Sorry," Sarah mumbled.

"It's alright," Jenny replied, a little shorter than she intended.

There was an extremely uncomfortable silence for a few moments.

"Jenny, what happened between the two of you?" Abby asked sheepishly.

Jenny felt a familiar sinking feeling rush through her. It wasn't the first time they'd asked that question, but each time she hadn't told them, and only mumbled something about it not working out. She didn't want anyone to know, partially due to the crushing humiliation, but mainly because she was still so utterly confused about everything herself, and she couldn't bare the thought of having to explain the complicated situation to anyone.

"Nothing," she lied, tucking her hair behind her ears.

"But you were both so in love - ouch!" Abby exclaimed; Sarah had clearly kicked her under the table.

"It was just . . ." Jenny began slowly, gaging how much to say. "Things just happen," she finished lamely.

"How are you doing?" Abby asked, sounding concerned. "Are you coping alright?"

"Yes," Jenny lied. "I'm fine. It's been - well it's been hard, explaining everything to Ben, but I think we're in a pretty good routine now."

"No, how are_ you_ doing?" she asked again, putting particular emphasis on the word 'you'.

"Fine," Jenny repeated , flicking her fringe out of her eyes.

"Are you - are you certain it's over?" Sarah asked tentatively.

"Yes," Jenny replied a little too quickly for it to be believable, desperate to shake off the interrogation.

"Then, are you thinking about enjoying your single life again?" Abby probed, raising her eyebrow questioningly.

That question threw Jenny for a second - why on earth would she be asking that?

"I doubt I'll ever have the time for things like that," she stated eventually, taking a sip of her cocktail.

"But what about sex?" Abby asked out of the blue, making Jenny choke on her drink.

Coughing, Jenny put down her glass and looked up at her in disbelief. "What about it?" she gasped.

"Well don't you miss it?" Abby demanded, her expression remaining innocent.

"No," Jenny answered, rather untruthfully. "It's been - it's only been - "

"Six months?" Abby suggested with a rye smile. "Any more and you'll have to check yourself into a nunnery . . ."

"And what would you have me do?" Jenny asked, still in shock that they were having this conversation. "Walk the streets in a corset and see who'll have me?"

"Not exactly," Abby said slowly, pausing to take a sip of her drink. "I think you should start dating again."

"No," Jenny answered immediately.

"Why not?" Sarah asked.

"Because . . ." Jenny began, struggling to come up with a reason. "I have a baby, and a . . ."

"And a Cutter?" Sarah finished her sentence for her.

Jenny gave her a withering look, but didn't reply - she was right after all.

"What would be the harm of having one little date, hmm?" Abby pushed. "What's that phrase? When you fall off the horse, you've got to get back on the saddle - "

"Are you actually _saying_ these words?" Jenny gapped, feeling herself blush.

"Oh, it's just a bit of girl talk," Sarah waved her hand airily.

"Why are you two so concerned with my sex life anyway?" Jenny asked suspiciously.

"We're not!" they both said in unison, making Jenny feel even more confused.

"So why all the questions?" she asked, looking between them both.

"I just . . ." Abby began, not meeting her in the eye. "I just thought that, if you _were_ ready to start dating again, there's someone I know who'd be perfect for you."

"No," Jenny repeated firmly.

Abby ignored her, and continued. "He's this guy who goes to my kick-boxing class - "

"No!"

"He's tall, dark and single," Abby said in a ringing tone.

"Am I speaking a foreign language or something?"

"And he's so good-looking that I literally have trouble concentrating sometimes," Abby finished triumphantly.

"Then you go out with him," Jenny suggested with a sweet smile, leaning back on her chair.

"What are you afraid of?" Abby asked, clearly trying a different tact. "Are you afraid that you would actually like him?"

"No - " Jenny insisted.

"Then I don't see the problem?" Abby stated with a smile.

"The problem is that I don't have time to go dining with hunky kick-boxing men," Jenny retorted, feeling her blood-pressure rise.

"What if I mind Ben for you next Friday?" Sarah suggested.

Jenny sighed deeply and put her finger and thumb on the bridge of her nose. "Can we please stop talking about my love life?"

"Absolutely. But can I tell him to call you?" Abby asked, her eyebrows raised in a pleading gesture.

"No!" Jenny repeated unwaveringly in a tone that clearly implied the conversation was over. "Now who wants another round?"

"Jenny - " Abby began.

"All of us then?" Jenny cut her off, getting to her feet and hurrying over to the bar.

Grumbling internally, Jenny relaxed her hands on the bar, feeling ambushed and slightly suffocated. Why were they so insistent that she started dating? From what she had gathered off them in the past six months, they were both incredibly eager to see her reunited with Nick. What had changed? Had Sarah found out that he'd had started dating again, and she wanted Jenny to find someone so she could move on too?

Sighing again, she ran her hand through her hair. No, surely he hadn't met somebody else? He wasn't like that. He wouldn't. It's not like he was that great with women anyway. Tapping her foot impatiently as she waited to be served, her mind wandered to the memory of when they got together, after months of dancing around each other. It happened, she remembered vividly, whilst they were investigating an anomaly in Torquay. Jenny, being the impeccable PR manager that she was, made damn sure that they were booked into the fanciest hotel she could find close by, and she, Abby, Cutter and Connor managed to find the anomaly and luckily, there were no incursions and the anomaly closed not long after they got there. However, this came with a heavy downside; there was no need for them to stay there in the tantalizingly luxurious hotel. A fact that Jenny soon rectified.

x x x

"_James," Jenny said curtly down the phone. "Yes, the anomaly's gone . . ."_

_She glanced around at Abby and Connor who were staring back at her with bated breath. Cutter, however, looked uninterested, and sat moodily by the hotel window, gazing absently out into the beautiful grounds._

"_Fantastic," Lester said, his voice seeped in the usual sarcasm, making it impossible for Jenny to fathom whether he was serious or not. "How soon can you get back then? I'm afraid that if you leave Captain Becker in charge for too long, he'll plan a military cue against me - "_

"_See James, the thing is . . ." Jenny began cautiously with another nervous glance at Connor and Abby, who gave her the thumbs up. "Cutter found some tracks leading away from the anomaly site - " _

"_Don't bring me into this!" Cutter barked over at her._

_Jenny placed her hand over the mouth piece. "Shhhh!" she hissed at him, before continuing in a forced sweet voice to Lester. "And so - just to be on the safe side - maybe we should stay the night and investigate further?"_

"_Oh wonderful," he drawled, the frustration evident in his voice. "You know, it's very difficult to keep things going with most of my staff on holiday - "_

"_Well, it's better to be safe than sorry," Jenny reminded him. "Would you prefer it if we came back now, and had to return in a week when a trail of half-eaten tourists start drawing peoples attention?_

_Lester paused for a moment, seemingly torn between his reluctance to grant them permission to stay and his fear that her words might be a probability. _

"_Fine," he sighed eventually. "But I want you all back here as soon as possible tomorrow!"_

"_Of course James," she soothed, smiling up at Abby and Connor. "See you then . . . goodbye . . ."_

_She snapped the phone shut, beaming up at them. "He bought it!"_

_Connor and Abby whooped and high-fived each other. Cutter, however, scowled. _

"_What if another anomaly pops up whilst we're here slacking off?" he snapped._

"_Will you relax!" Jenny sighed dramatically. "This is the first day off we've had in a month! Why don't you just stop sulking and try and enjoy it, hmm?"_

_Early afternoon found Jenny and Abby reclined back on their sun loungers, both enjoying the intense noon sun. Jenny rarely tanned of course - her skin was too stubbornly pale and no amount of sun rays seemed to change that. However, a girl could dream. Maybe this was finally the day that she would get that tan she had craved all her life. That is why she had purchased the tiniest black bikini imaginable from the shop on the promenade. Well that and the fact that she was . . . how should she put it . . . curious. She was curious to see Cutter's reaction._

_Speaking of the devil, a familiar nervous feeling fluttered in her stomach as she spotted him making his way out of the hotel. For a better look, she raised her sunglasses and surveyed him as he walked up to Connor who was sitting at the bar on the opposite side of the pool. Then, for a brief moment, she saw his gaze rest on her, and if she was not very much mistaken, he double took, looking surprised, although not unpleasantly so. However, a second later he was looking at Connor again, and chatting to him about something or another. Jenny felt disappointment burn in through her and with a sigh, she glanced around at Abby, noticing that she was watching her with a rather knowing smile._

"_What?" Jenny asked defensively._

"_Nothing," Abby said immediately, looking over at Cutter herself. "So . . ." she cleared her throat. "Checking out the local talent, are we?"_

"_I don't know what you're talking about," Jenny replied in an innocent tone, replacing her sunglasses on her nose and relaxing back more onto the lounger._

"_Oh, I think you do," Abby continued in a ringing tone. "Blonde hair, blue eyes . . ."_

"_Okay, I get the picture," Jenny interjected, feeling herself blush. "But it doesn't matter anyway."_

"_Why?"_

"_Because I don't think he like's me in that way," Jenny replied in a low voice. "I mean, we laugh, and we flirt, but just when I think it's going somewhere, he just closes down. I have no idea what he wants from me."_

"_From the way he's looking at you now, I'd say I have a fair idea of what he wants from you," Abby grinned._

_In spite of herself, Jenny's gaze was drawn back to Cutter, and with a niggle of excitement, she saw that he was looking at her again. For effect, she raised arms above her head and stretched, deliberately pushing out her chest and sucking her stomach in more. This time, she didn't lift up her sunglasses as she knew it would look too obvious, but she could tell, even through the tinted blackness, that he was still staring at her._

"_Nice one," Abby chuckled from beside her. "I'll have to remember to use that one in the future." _

_It wasn't until the night time that Jenny had any time alone with Cutter. Whilst she was in the bar with Abby and Connor, crammed next to a group of loud and lairy Irish students, she spotted Cutter making his way through the throng of partying guests and leaving through the door that eventually lead back to the closed pool._

"_I'll be back in a minute," she shouted to Abby over the loud music._

_She followed him out into the darkness, walking down the path that lead to the pool as there was not many other places he could have gone. Sure enough, after rounding a clump of bushes, she spotted him standing next to the pool, his eyes staring out distantly at the water as though he was absorbed in deep thought._

"_Penny for them Cutter?" she said softly as she reached him, rubbing her bare arms slightly against the chilly wind._

"_Oh, I don't think they're worth that much," he smiled, staring out into the still pool._

"_I'm a good tipper," she said with a grin._

_He looked round at her, his eyes as usual making her feel like she was being examined inside out._

"_I like it out here," he stated simply. "It's quiet."_

"_Do you want me to leave you alone?" she asked, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice._

"_Oh that I had that power," he said, although by the way he smiled, she was sure he was joking."Nice bikini today by the way."_

_She glanced around at him and rolled her eyes, although she felt the flow of anticipation travel through her body. "Have a nice look did you?" she asked in the most flippant tone she could muster._

"_Of course," he answered with a slight smile. "I am human after all."_

"_Go one then," she sighed. "Make some catty comment. We both know you want to."_

"_Actually, I think you looked beautiful," he said, taking her by surprise. "You always do."_

_He smiled at her and she flushed heavily._

"_Can you swim?" he asked conversationally, as though he hadn't just complimented her._

"_Yes, I took lessons after that future shark incident," she answered absently, looking back out into the water. "I thought it'd be prudent."_

"_Hmm," Cutter nodded. "So, will you let me know what the temperature's like?"_

"_What?" Jenny asked, her head snapping around to him. It was only a split second before it happened that, to her horror, she realised what he was about to do. "No, Cutter - !"_

_In slow motion it seemed, she felt his hands push her so that she staggered backwards, her heel slipping on the side of the pool. As a reflex, she reached out and grabbed his arm, dragging him with her. With a loud splash, they both hit the freezing water hard, entangled in a mass of limbs. The force of the impact sent them both straight to the bottom, and panicking, Jenny kicked out, eventually breaking the surface of the water with a deep gasp. Cutter surfaced a split second after her, smoothing his hair back and roaring with laughter._

"_You!" Jenny screamed, shaking in shock and pushing her soaked hair out of her face. "Why - why would you - ?"_

"_Oh relax . . . stop sulking . . . try and enjoy yourself . . ." he grinned, his eyes twinkling._

_She narrowed her eyes, annoyed at her own words being used against her. With a defiant sharp movement, she splashed water into his smug face and laughed in satisfaction and he spluttered and floundered._

"_I'll have you know that this dress cost more than you probably earn in a year!" she pointed out, still scandalized. "And if it's ruined, you're paying!"_

"_Oooh," Cutter mocked, pulling a face at her._

_She scowled at him, furious beyond reason. That was until he swam closer to her, slowly closing the gap between them. All of a sudden, she couldn't breath. She couldn't think. He was closer to her than he really had any business being - he was close enough that she could feel his hot breath tickle her cheek. She looked from his bright eyes to his mouth and back again, wondering if he'd dare. It soon became obvious that he would, as he leaned in slowly, hesitantly, and caught her lips between his own. Jenny felt electricity surge through her body, and she quickly recovered from the shock and tilted her head to the side, parting her lips to allow the kiss to deepen. Under the water, she felt his hands slip round her waist, pulling her into him as he guided her to the pool edge so that they could lean against the side. They broke apart for a moment and looked at each other, panting heavily, before he launched at her again, kissing her roughly. She pressed herself still closer to him, one hand exploring his back underneath his saturated shirt and the other lost in his dripping wet hair. One of his hands was on her thigh, pushing up her dress, and the other desperately fumbling at his pants. His lips wondered down to her collar bone, planting warm wet kisses there, causing her to gasp and tilt her head back, all decorum forgotten in a haze of passion. His kisses moved up her neck, and she savoured each and every sensation he was evoking in her, and ignored the screaming protests in her head that any second, they could be discovered. Maybe if they would have been, things wouldn't have gone so far . . . _

_It was the next day back in the ARC that Jenny found herself feeling dirty. She shouldn't have slept with him; she could tell by the way he looked at her now that she had gone down in his estimations. And now he would either loose all interest, or think that he could just get it whenever he felt like it._

_God, she was such an idiot! She had dropped her guard, and let herself get caught up in the stupid infatuation she had with him, and she'd done something she regretted. Well, not so much regretted, but certainly felt ashamed of. Then again, she thought to herself bitterly, why should she feel ashamed? Cutter certainly didn't seem to. And the feminist part of her brain hated the fact that it was the woman that was supposed to feel ashamed when the guy gets a bloody pat on the back. Still, societal pressure had left it's mark on her in that respect. _

_She buried her head in her hands, cringing inwardly. Now, she had no idea where she stood. She couldn't work out if he just wanted a quicky every now and then or if he wanted to make something more substantial out of it._

_There was a knock on her door and she snapped her head up as Cutter marched in. She quickly tried to rearrange her expression into one of cool impassiveness whilst inside, her heart was bursting it's banks._

"_Busy?" he asked her simply, not a hint of a reaction on his face._

"_Extremely," she answered shortly, lowering her gaze to the stack of papers on her desk. "So if we could make this quick?"_

_As soon as those words were out of her mouth, she blushed, knowing that the sentence could be interpreted two ways, and one of them not so innocently. _

_He seemed unfazed, however, and continued as though nothing had been said."What are you doing tonight?" he asked casually._

_And there it was, Jenny thought to herself. He wanted to see if she was free for another rendevous. Well, despite what he might think, and despite how she had acted previously, she was no whore._

"_Cutter - " she began in a monotone voice, about to explain that she wasn't interested in a casual fling, but he cut her off._

"_Because I was wondering - well, I was thinking that maybe, if you're not too busy, I could take you for . . . for dinner or something?" he stammered, looking down at her hopefully._

_She blinked, unable to hide her surprise, and reclined back in her chair, flicking her pen against the table as she surveyed him. She let him wait for a few moments before she replied. _

"_So you don't cook then?"_

_The corners of his mouth twitched upwards. "No, I wouldn't subject you to that until at least the fifth date." _

_Involuntarily, she smiled back, unable to miss the subtle way he had dropped in the 'fifth date' comment. So maybe he did want to make something out of this after all._

"_Okay," she agreed with a nod, trying to control her smile. "I suppose it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world." _

x x x

"What can I get you?" the barman's voice brought her out of her thoughts with a painful jolt.

"Um . . ." she stammered, her mind going completely blank. "Um, a pitcher of cosmopolitan please."

He nodded and busied himself making the drinks she'd requested. She waited, tapping a tuneless beat on the bar as she watched him, trying desperately not to let her thoughts stray to Nick again.

"And can I have a tequila as well please?" she added, the need to squash the bitter memories that had scarred her heart.

"Certainly," the barman smiled, pouring her one out on the bar, and continuing to mix the cocktails for her.

She knocked back the shot in one go, hoping that Abby and Sarah hadn't seen her, but at the same time not really caring. She shook her head slightly as the alcohol burned her mouth and throat as it went, for a second giving her a welcomed distraction. She slammed the glass back down on the bar and handed the rather bemused looking barman the money.

"You alright Miss?" he asked as he opened the till and cashed the money.

"I'm fine," she replied coldly, not willing to be drawn into a pointless conversation with a stranger.

"It's just that you look a little distracted," he continued, putting the finishing touches to the drinks.

"Distracted? Um, yeah, distracted is one way to put it," she said before she could contain herself. "Completely crushed is another."

"Oh, erm . . ." he stuttered, putting the finished pitcher on the bar, looking uncomfortable.

"Yeah, so maybe before you start enquiring into peoples personal lives, you should stop and think that maybe they don't want to talk about it," she ranted on, not knowing where the hell this was all coming from.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry," the barman insisted, looking thoroughly ambushed.

"Sure you didn't," she snapped sarcastically, picking up the jug and stalking off back to her table.

It was only when she reached Abby and Sarah that she calmed down, her anger giving way to embarrassment.

"Oh god," she said shakily as she sank back into her chair, setting the pitcher down and rubbing her hand across her forehead.

"What?" Sarah asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Can we go somewhere else?" Jenny asked, feeling mortified.

"Why?" Abby laughed, gesturing to the large jug in front of her. "We've still got that to drink."

"I've just yelled at the barman," she confessed quietly, trying to keep her self out of the bar's view.

"What - why?" Sarah gapped, looking torn between amusement and disbelief.

"Well I don't know why do I? I must have had a stroke or something . . ." she breathed. "Please can we go somewhere else?"

"Okay, okay," Abby soothed, looking like she was suppressing a smile as she pulled her coat on and got to her feet. "There's this nice place down the street."

"And try not to shout at any strangers along the way," Sarah interjected in a wavering voice, sounding like she was trying to stop herself from laughing.

"Oh, the wit!" Jenny snapped sarcastically, pushing her gently in the back to get a move on.

As they walked down the street, Abby and Sarah still teasing her, she made a vow to herself. Things couldn't go on like this. She couldn't keep living in the past and letting her emotions burst out of her at inappropriate moments. She had to get a grip and stop examining every little detail of her relationship with Nick, or she was going to drive herself bonkers. She had a life, and it was time she started to heal and pull herself together.

Surely there was more to life than being Nick Cutter's wife?


	4. The big reveal

Chapter 4

Jenny awoke with a start early on Sunday morning, a loud ringing sound cutting into what was a deep, peaceful sleep - a rarity in Jenny's life nowadays. She lay on her front for a few seconds, groggy, before she actually realised that it was her house phone that was ringing. Entangled in her duvet, she reached for the phone on her bedside table, not bothering to sit up as she clumsily held it up to her ear.

"I hate you," she grumbled into the mouthpiece, not caring who it was - she felt very rough from the night before, and she could have happily stayed asleep for a a good few hours longer.

"What's wrong with you?" Nick's voice said, sounding amused.

"Oh, it would be you wouldn't it," she mumbled, flicking her hair out of her face as she rolled onto her side. "What up?"

"Clearly not your mood," he replied in the same annoyingly upbeat voice.

"You're a funny, funny man," she said sarcastically as she sat up carefully.

"You a bit hungover?" he asked, his voice laced with false sympathy.

"Just a tad," she said, wincing as her head throbbed painfully. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to tell you I'm taking Ben to the park soon, if you want to pick him up there instead? It's closer to you anyway?"

"Yes, that sounds fine," she said, resting her tender forehead in her cool palm. "I'll see you at eleven?"

"Aye," he said with a sigh. "See you then. Bye."

"Bye," she said, hanging up and replacing the phone on the receiver sloppily.

She lay back down with a groan, pulling the duvet back over her pounding head. So not only did she have the hangover from hell, but she had to show her face in front of her ex-husband looking as rough as she felt. Great. Just what she needed. Although she had to admit, she was glad to finally be picking Ben up. She'd missed him like crazy; she always did when he was at Nick's for the weekend. The house felt empty without him.

* * *

A few hours later, Jenny had parked up near the park and was scanning the play area, hoping that Ben would be ready to go straight away so that she wouldn't have to spend any more time with Nick than was necessary. At long last, she spotted him on the jungle-gym, grinning from ear to ear. Nick was sitting on the bench on the other side of the play area, watching his son with a smile. Jenny walked over with her hands in her coat pockets, trying to keep her eyes on the ground until she reached him, taking a seat on the bench by his side.

"Only you would choose to meet in a park on the coldest day of the year," she stated, pulling up the collar of her coat to keep the chill off her neck.

"I think it's nice," he replied, not looking around at her. "And I've wrapped him up, don't worry," he added, nodding over to their son who was wearing his wooly hat and gloves, as well as his thick coat and wellies.

She didn't reply, but crossed her legs, wishing that she had worn pants instead of a skirt to protect her from the cold. They both watched Ben swinging happily from a bar in silence, a few other kids and their parents dotted were around the otherwise deserted park.

"You look tired," he remarked, glancing at her briefly.

"Oh thanks very much!" she chuckled, masking her annoyance that he had actually commented on her less than fresh appearance.

"I didn't mean it like that," he corrected himself. "I just meant that it looks like you had a good night last night, that's all."

"Hmm," she nodded, staring resolutely ahead of her.

"I took Ben to Pizza Hut last night," he said in a strange voice after a few moments silence.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "And we saw someone there. Ben said he recognised him. Said you'd brought him round to the house a couple of times?"

His tone was casual, but Jenny could hear the seriousness behind it.

"What was his name?" Jenny asked innocently, although she knew very well who he was talking about.

"Glen-something," Nick said bitterly, for the first time meeting her in the eye."Why, how many men do you bring round to the house?"

She tutted at him, but didn't answer, not knowing what to say. Glen was a colleague of hers that had given her a lift home a couple times when her car had broken down, or she had run out of petrol. As a thank you, she had invited him in for a coffee. That was it - end of story. There was nothing even remotely romantic going on. Not that she would give Nick the satisfaction of telling him that. He was clearly not put off by her silence, however, and continued to grill her.

"Are you dating him or something?" he asked in a small voice.

"That's none of your business," she said coldly.

"You're my wife," he snapped, his temper clearly rising.

"We're separated," she reminded him icily, jiggling her foot up and down with impatience. "Remember?"

"So this is how it's going to be?" Nick asked in a strained voice. "I take care of _our_ son all weekend so you can sleep around with whoever you want?"

"Yes, I guess so," she spat untruthfully, all attempts at civility forgotten. "What did you expect, that I'd just turn into a bloody nun?"

He gapped at her for a few moments before laughing in disbelief and getting to his feet. "Will you just tell Ben I had to leave and that I'll see him soon," he said shortly, before storming off.

Cursing inwardly, Jenny rolled her eyes. "Nick, wait!" she called him back, looking around to make sure Ben wasn't listening.

He stopped and turned, looking at her coldly.

She took a deep, frustrated breath, annoyed that she had to justify herself. "I'm not seeing anyone," she informed him in a low voice that wouldn't carry over to Ben.

He stared back at her for a moment, seemingly torn between leaving and staying. Eventually, he walked back and sunk onto the bench next to her.

"Well, I can't say I'm not relieved," he began, rubbing his hand over his creased forehead. "I thought that . . ." he trailed off, looking upset.

"It doesn't mean that we're getting back together," she stated, wanted to make it clear that a reconciliation was not a possibility. "Not after - "

"I know," Nick mumbled.

They both busied themselves with watching Ben for a while. He was on a pole that was rather high up for Jenny's liking, and she watched apprehensively as he swayed haphazardly on it.

"Ben, be careful!" she shouted over to him, unable to stop herself voicing her concern.

"He's fine, stop mollycoddling the boy," Nick said, rolling his eyes at her.

"Just because I don't want him to fall doesn't mean I'm being overprotective," she sniffed, relaxing back into the bench.

"Kids need to explore, push their own boundaries," he pointed out.

"Where the hell did you read that? The lazy mans guide to parenting?"

"No, it's just common sense," he said patiently. "Look, Jenny I've been wanting to talk to you about something."

She glanced around at him, an eyebrow raised questioningly.

He took a deep breath before speaking. "I want to see him more."

"Nick - " she sighed, looking away in frustration.

"Please Jenny," he said, a clear hint of desperation in his voice.

"We agreed that shuttling him back and forth between us all the time would be no good for him," Jenny reminded him.

"But I miss him so much. It's so hard to go from seeing him every day to only having him two weekends a month. How would you feel?"

"It's different with me, I'm his mother," she snapped, jiggling her foot more and more.

"Well, I'm his father," Nick retorted. "I love him just as much as you do."

"Nick, I carried him inside me for nine months and gave birth to him. It's completely different."

"It's just that . . ." he said, trying a different tact. "You don't cash any of the cheques I send you - "

"I've told you before that we don't need your money. I can afford to pay for everything he needs."

"But that, and the fact that I don't see him much," he paused, rubbing has hand over his forehead. ". . . well . . . I'm starting to feel like a deadbeat dad or something."

"Nick - no one, not me or anyone who knows you could ever accuse you of being a deadbeat. You're a brilliant farther."

"Well I don't feel like one," he replied glumly, staring at his hands. "And so I've decided that if you don't let me see him more . . ." he paused again, as though bracing himself, and let out a deep sigh. "I'm going to sue you for joint custody," he blurted out quickly.

Her head snapped round at him, her blood running cold.

"You wouldn't," she said numbly, unable to believe what she was hearing.

"I have to," he replied quietly, not meeting her in the eye.

She stood up abruptly, breathing hard to try and stop herself from screaming at him in such a public place.

"Now you listen to me," she whispered venomously. "I've always been more than generous letting you have him for the entire weekend. And if you try and take my son away from me, I guarantee you that you'll regret it."

"Jenny - "

She put up her hand to silence him. "I'm not messing around Nick. So help me god, if you back me into a corner on this, I'll stop you seeing him all together and tear you to _pieces_ in court."

"You can't do that - "

"Try me," she breathed, giving him the dirtiest look she possessed before turning on her heel and walking away, seething.

"Come on Ben, we're leaving!" she shouted to her son, her voice quivering.

* * *

When she and Ben got home, she set him up in his play room, for once unable to muster up the energy to entertain him herself after Nick's little bombshell. Still bubbling over with rage, she walked back downstairs and pressed the play button on her answering machine harder than was really necessary. With a jolt of surprise and annoyance, Nick's voice filled the room.

_Look Jenny _(the machine said) _I'm so sorry about this, but what else can I do? I just want what's fair. I want to be a bigger part of his life, and I want to support him financially._ _Surely you can understand that -_

With a groan of frustration, she slammed her hand down on the delete button, unable to hear the message through to the end, or else she would probably end up smashing the answering machine against the wall. How dare he! He was the one who screwed everything up between them, and now he was the one making the demands and the threats! Well so help her god, she was not going to make it easy for him. She was going to hire the most expensive lawyer she could and shred him in court. This was the last thing she wanted, which was why she had agreed to the two weekends a month thing in the first place, but now he had pushed her too far. He couldn't expect her to just sit back and do nothing when he threatened her. And in any case, most courts sided with the mother; what on earth was he playing at?

In an attempt to calm herself, she opened the door to her garden and stepped out onto the patio, bunching slightly in the shock of the cold. She lent against the wooden decking and looked out onto her massive back garden, her thoughts running a mile a minute.

How had it all come to this?

_Jenny was balanced on a stool haphazardly, trying to put some of Ben's baby toys that he had outgrown into boxes on top of the wardrobe. Thinking about it, she should have brought the boxes down first, put the toys in them, and then put them back up, but it was too late now; she might as well get on with it. Most of the toys were balanced in the crook of one arm, whilst she placed them in the box one-by-one. She was almost done when, unexpectedly, Ben's shouts echoed_ _into the room from the baby monitor; he must have fallen over in his room or something. Jenny jumped violently, her hand knocking over two teetering boxes that crashed heavily to the floor and spilled out their contents everywhere._

"_Shit," she muttered under her breath as she hopped down off the stool._

_What a mess! Still, it would have to wait - if she let Ben cry for more than a minute by himself, he would enter into tantrum mode. After she'd settled him down, she re-entered the room to clean it up. Bending down with a groan, she began to pile all the junk back into the boxes. However, as she did so, a photograph caught her eye. It was small, and looked like it had been ripped up and taped back together again. She raised it to her face to take a closer look._

_She nearly dropped the picture in shock._

_It was a photograph of her. But it wasn't her! She knew that because the woman in the picture had red hair, not to mention that she had no recollection of it being taken. But she was identical to her; same face, same eyes, same everything._

_Her hand shaking, she slid down the wardrobe onto the floor. She knew who this was. It was Claudia Brown. _

_Later that day, she sat on the breakfast table numbly, waiting . . . waiting . . . she had dropped Ben off with her parents a couple of hours ago, knowing how this conversation was going to end, and not wanting her son to be there to witness it. At long last, she heard the key turn in the front door, and a few moments later, Nick was striding into the room. He grinned at her in way of a greeting, but she returned it with a stony look of her own. She saw his smile falter slightly._

"_What's wrong?" he asked, looking a little on edge._

_She didn't reply, but instead silently slid the picture she had found forward on the table._

"_Care to explain this?" she said, struggling to keep her voice steady._

_He glanced down at the photograph, his expression turning from bemused to downright shocked._

"_Jenny - " he began in a pleading voice._

"_No actually, don't bother," she interrupted in the same hollow voice. "I already know who this is."_

"_Okay, before you freak out, I need you to listen to me," he said, taking a seat next to her and leaning forward._

_She looked up into his pleading eyes that were willing her to let him speak, and despite the screaming protests in her head, she remained silent and allowed him to try and explain himself._

_She listened, desperately trying to keep her face impassive, but every word he spoke felt like a knife to the heart. Claudia Brown had in fact existed, and was not the figure of his imagination that she had assumed she was. They had met, they had flirted, they had kissed, they had danced around each other for months . . . and then she had disappeared when he had returned from the Permian anomaly, only to be replaced by Jenny herself. All of a sudden, everything seemed to slip horribly into place in Jenny's head; so that was how he had known so much about her . . . that's why he had been so infuriating the first few months after they had met. _

_Unable to cope with hearing any more of it, she stood up and walked over to the fireplace, turning her back on him so he couldn't see that her face was screwed up to stop herself from crying._

"_So," she began, her voice cracking. "Everything we have - everything between us is a lie?"_

"_No - "_

"_What was it? You missed Claudia, so you thought you'd settle for the second best option?"_

"_It wasn't like that - " _

_She turned to face him, unable to control her anger._

"_Well you explain it to me then, because right now, I'm not feeling exactly wanted."_

"_It's complicated - "_

"_Complicated?" she repeated with a cold laugh. That's it - her temper was lost."YOU'VE JUST TOLD ME EVERYTHING I THOUGHT I WAS . . . EVERYTHING I'VE DONE IS A LIE!" she exploded, shaking from head to toe. "AND ALL'S YOU CAN SAY IS IT'S 'COMPLICATED'!"_

"_Jenny - "_

_She turned, rage getting the better of her, and swept most of the photographs off the mantle piece so that the frames smashed loudly onto the floor._

"_NONE OF THIS MEANS ANYTHING ANYMORE!" she screamed so loud that she felt like her throat would tear._

"_It does!"_

"_Really? What?" she said sarcastically, picking up the only remaining picture. "Like this photo of our wedding? ONLY IT WASN'T ME YOU WANTED TO MARRY WAS IT!" she yelled, flinging the frame against the wall._

"_Look, just calm down!"_

"_I shouldn't even be here," she cried, rubbing her temple as she fully realised the depths of his confession. "The only reason I am is because you screwed up something in the past!"_

"_No," he shook his head, his voice cracking._

"_Your words Nick," she sobbed, tears cascading down her cheeks._

"_I just wanted you to know what it was like for me," Nick explained in a quivering voice. "Help you understand - "_

"_Oh, I do understand," she breathed dangerously. "You erased this woman you loved from existance and accidently replaced her with me. And because I'm the image of her, and lets face it, I'm sure that's all the man in you is interested in, you married me."_

"_That's not it!"_

"_Oh come on! The only reason you looked at me twice was because of her!"_

"_No," Nick shook his head again desperately. "I love you. I love YOU Jenny; I wouldn't have married you if I didn't."_

"_And I wouldn't have married you if you would have told me about this years ago!"_

_Silence followed her words, Nick looking more upset than she had ever seen him before. In an attempt to calm herself, she paced up and down, running her hand through her hair, trying to get her head around it all. But whatever way she span it, the terrible emptiness in her stomach wouldn't leave._

"_When were you going to tell me?" Jenny asked eventually. "Or weren't you going to bother?"_

"_I did tell you!" he shouted, his temper obviously rising. "You didn't believe me!"_

"_Then why didn't you show me that photograph?" she pointed out coldly._

_He sighed deeply and ran his hand over his forehead. When he spoke next, it was in a quiet, gentle tone._

"_When we got together, I was glad you didn't believe me about Claudia when we met," he answered. "Why would I want to hurt you like that? Why would I make you question my feelings for you? I never wanted you to find that picture."_

"_Oh, is that why you hid it in the invisible box on top of our wardrobe?" she laughed sarcastically._

_He opened his mouth_ _to answer, but closed it again almost immediately, obviously at a loss for what to say. Another dense silence followed as she turned away from him again, looking anywhere but his face._

"_So," she began, hating how scratched her voice sounded. "Every time we're together, are you mentally comparing us. Claudia and I?"_

"_Don't be stupid," he said sharply._

"_Am I as good in bed as she was?"_

"_I never slept with her!" _

_She turned back to him, genuinely surprised. "But you were in love with her?"_ _she probed, not sure that she wanted to hear the answer, but knowing that she needed to._

"_I - I don't know . . . maybe," he finished lamely. "But my feelings for her have nothing to do with my feelings for you."_

"_Except that you only went after me as a replacement for her!"_

"_Okay, that's exactly what it was!" he bellowed unexpectedly, starling her so that she actually stepped back a few paces. "You want the truth Jen? If I could have erased you from time to get her back, I would have done. I felt nothing for you. In fact, I hated you. You were just this person living the life she was supposed to live, ruining everything for me. Is that what you want to hear?"_

_She slapped him across the face hard, feeling a fury like she never had before, the pain of his words so all-consuming. _

"_Get your stuff, and get out!" she spat venomously, purposely barging past his shoulder and storming off up the stairs. _

"_Jenny, I'm sorry!" he shouted after her desperately; his anger had obviously left him after the slap._

_She blocked out his words, slamming the bathroom door shut, and sinking to the floor, the pain too much to take . . . too much to process . . ._ _she put her hands to her mouth and sobbed harder than she ever had done before in her life._

_Not long after, she heard him creaking up the stairs after her, and pause outside the bathroom door. She felt the door bang slightly, telling her that he must have slid down the other side of it himself._

"_Jenny?" he said in a small voice that was so un-Cutter like._

_She didn't answer, but leant her head back_ _to rest on the door, drawing her knees up to her chest and hurridly wiping the tears away from her cheeks._

_He sighed deeply, the sound audible even through the thick wooden door. "Jenny, what I said back there was true. But that was a long time ago. Before I got to know you. Before I let myself get to know you. But it wasn't always like that," he paused, as though considering how much to say. "I remember the day it changed," he continued wistfully. "It was about two months after you'd started, and we were all just milling around the ARC. And Connor said something stupid - I cant remember what now it was that long ago - and you laughed. That's it. You just threw back your head and laughed, and you let the whole cold, unemotional facade fall away, and I really saw you for the first time. You were beautiful. And for the first time, I saw you as someone different to Claudia. I saw you as someone I could fall for separately."_

_He paused again, obviously wanting her to speak, but when she didn't, he continued. "I still told myself I hated you. But I didn't hate you - I hated the fat that you were engaged; that you had this whole new life that I wasn't a part of. And then you told me about your fiancé . . . about how he didn't take any curiosity in your work, and a small part of me thought 'this is it . . . this is my chance'. And . . ." he paused again and let out a long sigh. "You've made me the happiest man in the world. I love every moment I spend with you . . . you've gave me a son . . ." he trailed off and sniffed, as though he was crying himself._

_But it didn't matter what he said - the empty hole that the discovery of Claudia had opened in her stomach refused to leave. The tears wouldn't stop. Nothing could take things back to how they used to be - she knew that. That's why she didn't reply to him, but cried silently in the bathroom, even when she heard him get to his feet._

_When she finally came out of the bathroom, Nick was gone. _

Jenny squeezed the wooden planks under her hands hard as she doubled over, tears running down her cheek, and she screamed, letting out all the frustration that had been bottled up inside her since that terrible day.

How had it all come to this?


	5. The date

**I'm trying to make the chapters as long as possible to compensate for the fact that I can't update as often as I would like. Hope you enjoy :)**

Chapter 5

Jenny noticed the message button flash red on the answering machine as she passed, and absently she pressed it, assuming it was her mother or someone equally mundane. She was shocked, to say the last, when a strangers voice, deep and male, boomed out of it instead.

"Hi, I'm calling for Jenny Lewis? This is Ethan - Abby Maitland gave me your number . . . she told me to call you. Sorry, I'm not very good at these things . . . anyway, apparently we're made for each other, isn't that convenient?" he chuckled nervously. "I was hoping we could set something up for Friday . . .?"

Jenny's surprise was turned into anger as she realised that it was the guy Abby had been trying to set her up with. Laughing in disbelief to herself, she picked up the phone and began to dial.

"No, no, no . . ." she muttered to herself stubbornly until Abby picked up the phone. "NO!" she added to her.

"Who is this?" Abby's bemused voice asked.

"It's your soon to be ex-friend Jenny," she replied sarcastically. "Why the hell did you give this Ethan guy my number when I told you not to?"

"Oh, so he called?" Abby asked in a triumphant tone.

"Yes, he called," Jenny gapped. "He want's me to do something with him on Friday! Why did you do this?"

"He sounds hot though doesn't he?"

"He sounds fine, but I can't Abby - I'm too busy."

"Me and Sarah will have Ben overnight for you. Oh go on Jenny, you really need this!" Abby pointed out in a pleading voice. "You need to go out without worrying about Ben or thinking about Cutter. It's just some harmless fun, no strings attached - "

"What the hell do you think I am?"

"Someone who needs to take herself less seriously. It's just one date. And if you don't like him, I won't say another word about your love life, I promise."

Jenny sighed deeply, feeling too tired to protest any further. She was right after all - she did need to start getting out of the house more. And it wasn't as if supposedly handsome men called up to take her on a date every day.

"Fine," she conceded eventually. "One date. But after that Abby, I don't want to hear another word about it. Okay?"

"Of course," she said, her smile evident in her voice. "You won't be disappointed!"

* * *

It was Friday evening and Sarah sat in the ARC, flicked her pen on the blank piece of paper in front of her, too distracted to do any more work as she surveyed Cutter. He was walking slowly around the matrix model, rubbing his chin slightly as though he was deep in thought. Every now and then, he stopped and jotted something down in a notepad, before resuming his pacing, his eyes staring blankly as though he wasn't actually seeing anything.

"It just doesn't make sense," he mumbled eventually, more to himself than to Sarah.

"What doesn't?" she asked, not really caring about what he was talking about - she was too busy trying to figure out how to steer the conversation where she wanted to.

"The anomalies had been happening more and more regularly, up until six months ago," he answered, still with the distant look in his eye. "According to the model, fifty anomalies should have opened up already. But they haven't. I just don't understand where all the energy is going. It couldn't have just vanished - "

"Yes, yes, you're right," she replied airily, not really listening. "So have you got any plans for tonight then?"

"I - what?" he said, looking round at her with a slightly puzzled expression on his face at the abrupt change of subject.

"Tonight? Any plans?" she repeated, looking up at him with a forced innocent expression.

"Um, no, why?" he asked suspiciously. "You're not . . . you're not asking me out are you?"

Sarah let out a cold cackle before she could stop herself. "God no! Don't be disgusting!" she laughed, feeling a slight pang of nausea at the thought.

"Thanks very much," he said, his lips twitching upwards as though he was trying not to laugh himself.

"Sorry, I didn't mean you're not attractive, but the rugged academic type doesn't push my buttons like it does others," she replied bluntly, referring of course to Jenny.

"Well I'm glad we got that straightened out," he chuckled, his eyes returning to the matrix model. "Why are you asking me if I've got plans then?"

"No reason," she lied, waiting for an opening - maybe he'd ask her what her plans were out of politeness?

But unfortunately, he seemed reluctant to be drawn into a conversation about their social lives. Looks like she'd have to just come out with it.

"I've got a busy night ahead of me myself," she began tentatively.

"Oh?" he said without looking around, his tone conveying his total disinterest.

"Yes, I'm going over to Abby's," she informed him in as casual tone as possible. "We're minding Ben for the night."

Just as she suspected, his head snapped around at her words, his eyes widened with surprise.

"Actually - " she continued with a dramatic sigh, looking down at her watch, "I should get going now. Ben will already be there . . ."

"Why - why are you two babysitting? Why didn't Jenny ask me?" he stammered.

"I don't know," she answered, acting distracted as she stood up, searching for her coat. "Maybe because she's going out on a date."

"She's _what?"_ he gapped in disbelief, obviously forgetting himself.

"Yes," she said in an off-hand tone as she gathered up her keys. "She's meeting him at Nicola's. She's probably there now . . ." she trailed off purposely.

"Nicola's? It that the Italian place?" he demanded, not quite hiding his desperation.

"Um - yes, I think so," she replied with a fake shrug. "Look, I've got to go . . . I'll see you on Monday . . ."

She left, smiling to herself as she rounded the corner. If she was not very much mistaken, his jealousy was right on track. And by the way he was so insistent on verifying the restaurant, he was going to show up there. Hopefully, the guy Abby had set Jenny up with would be scared off by the arrival of the 'ex-husband', and he'd leave Jenny and Cutter to it. Well, that was Abby's plan anyway; Sarah was just the puppet. Still, she hoped it worked. Jenny and Cutter were just meant to be - anyone who wasn't blind could see that. And Ben needed his mum and dad together. Whatever had gone on between them was surely not as important as that? Hopefully, Cutter's jealousy was enough to inject a bit of fight into him to get her back.

* * *

Jenny sat at the table in the restaurant Ethan had suggested, nervously fingering the edge of her napkin. Every few seconds, it crossed her mind to just get up and leave - she hadn't dated for years, and was out of practice, not that she'd much cared for it in the first place. The uncomfortableness, the awkward glances, the suffocating pauses in the conversation - she could do without it all, especially right at that moment. She could think of about a million things that she would rather be doing.

Her mind made up, she pushed out her chair and was half stood when a man appeared in front of her. She knew that her mouth had fell open. He looked in his mid-thirties and was very tall and muscular, with olive skin and eyes that were so dark, they looked almost black. He smiled with genuine warmth as their gazes met.

"Jenny I assume?" he said kindly, holding out his hand for her to take.

"Wow," Jenny said before she could stop herself. He was quite possibly the most attractive man she had ever seen in her entire life. He gave her a very funny look, so she hurried to correct herself. "I mean hi, I'm Jenny," she added rather breathlessly, extending her hand to shake his.

"Ethan," he nodded, taking a seat opposite her. "I must say, I'm relieved. I don't usually go on blind dates, but Abby was very complimentary about you, so I couldn't resist."

"Why, what did she say?" Jenny asked with trepidation, lowering herself back down onto her chair.

"That you were one of the most beautiful woman in London," he smiled, reclining back and surveying her. "And I'm glad to say that I'm in full agreement."

She blushed slightly, not knowing what to say.

He squeezed his eyes shut, looking embarrassed. "Sorry - I sound like someone from a cheesy nineteen-sixties musical."

"No, it's fine," she smiled, feeling uncharacteristically flustered.

* * *

It was the main course, and yet Jenny found herself wanting to leave less and less with each passing moment. She hated to admit it, but Ethan was a terrific date - he was interesting, funny, and very attentive, listening to her when she spoke with his head tilted to the side, as though in deep concentration. And he wasn't horrible to look at either . . .

He had just finished telling her about his divorce a few years previously, and telling her about his daughter, Lilly.

" . . . I've got a picture of her with me," he said, fishing inside his jacket pocket. He retrieved his wallet and pulled out a slightly dog-eared photograph that he handed over.

Jenny looked down at it, and was taken aback to see a young teenage girl, with raven hair and dark brown eyes, looking out with a slightly aspirated expression as though she didn't like getting the photograph taken.

"She's beautiful," Jenny said honestly, passing the photograph back. "How old is she?"

"Thirteen going on thirty," he grinned, replacing the picture in his wallet and pocketing it.

She laughed slightly. "I'm sorry, you just don't look old enough to have a thirteen-year-old daughter."

"We had her when we were very young," he explained. "What about you? Do you have any children?" he asked curiously, taking a sip of the expensive red wine he had ordered.

"I've got one little boy, Ben," she replied, hoping that Nick wasn't about to creep up in the conversation. "He's three."

"And his father?" Ethan asked in a casual voice, although he looked up at her with a serious expression. "I'm sorry to ask, but - "

"We're . . . we're not together any more," Jenny replied truthfully.

"What happened?" he probed gently. He must have noticed the look on her face, as he hurriedly added, "I'm sorry, just tell me to shut up if I'm being too nosy."

"No, it's fine," she said with an attempted smile. "He just . . . well, he didn't feel the same way about me."

"Poor guy," he said, shaking his head.

"How so?"

"Losing a woman like you," he said. "He must be an idiot to let you go."

Chuckling slightly, Jenny reclined back in her seat. "You don't even know me," she pointed out to him.

"Well I'm hoping to change that," he replied with a smile that made her stomach back-flip.

"Oh is that so - ?" she began to joke, but was cut off by a voice that stopped her heart.

"Jenny?" Nick's voice floated over to her.

She froze, gapping as she spotted Nick weaving in between the tables, making his way over to them. His face was stony, anger etched in his features, and when he reached them, he glared down at her so hard that she could practically feel the fury radiating from him.

"What - what are you doing here?" she demanded, torn between embarrassment and anger.

"Oh, I was passing and I saw you through the window, so I thought I'd come in and say hello," he said in a forced-calm voice. He turned to Ethan with a strained smile, and held out his hand. "Hi, I'm Jenny's husband - "

Jenny let out a laugh of disbelief.

"What?" Ethan spluttered, looking in between them both, a confused expression on his face.

"Excuse us," she said to Ethan, before standing up, grabbing Nick's arm in a vice-like grip and marching him over to the bar area.

"Have you lost your mind?" she snarled, smacking him lightly in the chest. "What the hell are you playing at?"

"Hm, well I found out my wife is out on a date, so I thought I'd come and see who the lucky man was."

"Ex-wife," she corrected angrily, narrowing her eyes. "And you've got no right to just barge in like this. It's none of your business who I'm out with . . . come to think of it, how did you know I was here?"

"Sarah told me. And how the hell did you expect me to react?"

"Sarah?" Jenny repeated, feeling completely bemused. "But why would she . . .?"

Then all of a sudden, the penny dropped. So that was their plan all along - Abby had set her up with Ethan so that Nick would barge in and ruin everything, and they hoped that she'd fall back into his arms.

Laughing to herself in complete incredulity, she pulled out her mobile and furiously dialed Abby's number. Much to her frustration, there was no answer, and she only got the voicemail. "Abby," she snapped after the beep. "I know what you're are playing at, and it stops now. Nick has just turned up at the restaurant, and completely humiliated me! And by the way, if you speak to Sarah, tell her I'm pissed at her too."

She slammed her phone shut, and turned back to a still angry-looking Nick.

"Just go, okay?" she added to him. "I can do without this tonight."

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me why you're out on a date!"

"Because I'm single. Why shouldn't I be out?" she retorted cruelly, aware that Ethan was looking over at them arguing. "Just leave me to try and salvage the rest of my evening."

She turned to walk away, but he grabbed her arm to stop her. "You're my wife Jenny," he said in a low voice. "I'm not having you out on a date."

She laughed coldly. "Oh please Nick. It's a little late to play the afflicted husband."

"You know, I don't know why I'm surprised," he whispered venomously, gripping her arm tighter. "After all, you were hardly the little angel when we met were you? You told me you'd cheated on Mark - "

She wrenched herself away from him, looking at him with disgust. "Go to hell," she spat furiously, before she turned her back on him and returning to her table, hitching the standard plastic smile on her face as she sat down.

"Sorry about that," she sighed to Ethan, who was looking thoroughly confused. "My ex . . . he's still got this ridiculous notion of the two of us getting back together."

He hesitated slightly, before leaning towards her. "Look Jenny, it doesn't bother me, unless it's mutual on your part. I'd really like us to do something again, but I don't want to waste my time with someone who isn't interested."

"I am interested," she answered immediately, her anger at Nick's intrusion probably making her more inclined to accept the invitation of another date.

Ethan smiled and nodded, reaching over and resting his hand on hers gently. Completely taken aback by the unexpected gesture, she glanced around, secretly hoping that Nick hadn't seen that particular display of affection. But he was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

"I can't remember the last time I've laughed so much," Ethan informed her as they walked down the darkened street.

Thanks to the copious amount of wine she'd consumed, Jenny had found herself unsteady on her feet as the fresh air hit her, and Ethan had wound his arm around her waist to keep her walking in a straight line, which she was grateful for. She was surprised at how comfortable she felt with him; she had never expected to find anyone she could let her guard down with after Nick.

"You must be an easy guy to please then," she joked, leaning into him a bit more as they walked.

"Or you're just a dazzling dining companion?" he suggested as he stopped, and put his hands on her upper arms, turning her round to face him gently.

Her breath caught in her mouth as she realised how close his lips were to hers.

"So," he breathed, squeezing her arms slightly. "Am I to take it that we can do this again some time?"

She raised her chin to meet his, and inhaled slowly. "It's a definite possibility," she replied in a teasing manner.

"Some time soon?" he pushed, his hands traveling softly up her arms and flicking her hair back over her shoulder.

"Perhaps," she nodded with a smile.

"Good," he grinned.

Then he did something that took her completely by surprise - he leaned forwards and caught her slightly parted lips inbewteen his own. Instinctually, she kissed him back, enjoying the bolt of thrill that ran through her at his touch. However, just as his hands wandered up her back, pulling her closer, the image of Nick popped up clearly in Jenny's mind, squashing any pleasant feelings she had in a wave of guilt.

With an involuntary sob, she broke away, touching the back of her hand up to her mouth.

"I'm sorry," Ethan said immediately, his forehead creased with concern as his eyes searched her face. "I thought - "

"No, it's not you," she replied in a shaky voice.

"Then what . . .?" he asked, before he paused and stepped back from her. "It's your husband isn't it?"

She looked up at him, feeling tears prick at the corner of her eyes, and reluctantly, she nodded.

"You're still in love with him?"

After hesitating for a moment, she nodded again.

He dropped his head, sighing deeply with a resigned look on his face.

"I'm sorry," she said in a small voice, ignoring the slightly dizzy feeling she had. "I really am."

"Well, I can't say I'm not disappointed," he said. He sighed again and looked up at her. "Come on," he added eventually with a sad smile. "I'll take you home."

She sniffed, and nodded with a grateful smile, allowing him to put his arm around her shoulder to walk her over to the taxi rank.

"Although," he said in a forced humourous voice. "If you're ever looking for no strings sex, you can always call me. I mean it - day or night - I'll be at your beckon call."

Jenny chuckled, and he laughed himself.

"I'll be sure to bare you in mind," she joked.

"Excuse me?" a familiar voice said from behind them.

They turned, and Jenny caught a flash of Nick's face, contorted with anger, before he punched Ethan in the jaw so hard that he staggered backwards and fell against the wall.

"Nick!" Jenny gasped, pushing him away as he made to lunge at him again. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"So you just expect me to ignore the fact that you're taking some random bloke back - "

"I was just taking her home mate," Ethan argued, staggering to his feet and nursing a bloodied lip.

"What - through the portal in her mouth?" Nick laughed coldly.

"It's got nothing to do with you anyway!" Ethan shouted, straightening up and puffing out his chest.

"It's got everything to do with me!" Nick snarled, making to square up to him, but again, Jenny pushed him away.

"Nick, just back off!" she yelled, before she turned to Ethan. "Look, you'd better just go."

"No, I'm not leaving you here with him!" he gapped.

"Why, what do you think I'm going to do to her?" Nick barked, his nostrils flaring with anger.

"Please Ethan, just go," Jenny begged, desperate to separate them before the inevitable brawl started.

Ethan hesitated, breathing hard as he gave Nick the filthiest look imaginable. "Alright," he said to Jenny eventually. "But I'll call you tomorrow to see if you're okay - "

"She'll be fine tomorrow!" Nick interjected, moving forward slightly, forcing Jenny to rest her hand on his chest in a warning. "So don't bother calling."

Ethan opened his mouth as though he was going to speak, but he seemed to think better if it, and instead he shook his head and turned, walking off into the night. When Jenny was sure he was a safe distance away, she turned back to Nick, literally shaking with rage.

"How dare you," she breathed dangerously.

"If you expect me to apologise for doing it, you'll be waiting a long time," he stated coldly.

Laughing in disbelief, she shook her head. "Stay away from me," she said acidly, before storming over to a taxi, and getting in it without looking back.

* * *

Still furious a long while after she had gotten home, Jenny slammed her kitchen cupboards shut with unnecessary force as she retrieved a glass to pour herself a generous helping of red wine.

_The nerve of him! _she thought to herself over and over again. _What gives him the right to blaze in to where she was enjoying a nice meal with a nice guy and muck everything up!_

She slammed the bottle of wine down on the counter, and took a particularly large gulp. What, did he expect her to stay single for the rest of her life just to please him? She set her glass down and rested her hands on the counter, breathing irregularly as she fought to bring her blood pressure back down.

There was one thought that did cross her mind that made her anger dissipate ever so slightly. How would she have felt if it was Nick out on a date with another woman? She knew the answer to that almost immediately, and a reluctant burning shame emanated from her stomach. Yes, she would have been devastated. She knew that. Still, she doubted very much that she'd show up at the restaurant if the roles were reversed.

Her thoughts were halted by her doorbell ringing. With a sigh, she looked up at the clock and saw that it was eleven thirty as night - who would be calling at this hour? Maybe it was Abby bringing Ben back? But Jenny was certain he was meant to be staying the night with her. Unless something had happened . . .

At that thought, she hurried to answer it, wrenching the door open quickly. She froze, heart thudding, as Nick's face greeted her unexpectedly.

She stared at him for a few moments, the door held half open. After no words seemed forthcoming off her, Nick spoke first.

"Hi," he said quietly.

"Hi," she breathed back.

There was another silence, broken only by the sound of sirens ringing in the distance.

"Can I come in?" he asked tentatively.

For a second, she considered answering with a blatant no - she considered slamming the door in his face, and walking away. But she couldn't.

Without a word, she stepped back, allowing him to pass her. He paused in the hallway as she closed the door and turned back to him. His eyes were trained on the floor, but as she watched him, his gaze slowly crept upwards to her legs, and with a twinge of embarrassment, she remembered that she had changed into her black silk night dress, that was a bit too revealing for her comfort threshold. She cleared her throat and shifted her feet uncomfortably, causing his gaze to snap back to the floor.

"What do you want Nick?" she asked, folding her arms over her chest.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry," he mumbled, still looking anywhere but her. "You're right - it was none of my business."

This surprised her slightly, but she nodded, and pretended it was what she wanted to hear. "Okay then," she gulped.

He moved his hand absently, and a flash of red caught her eye; his knuckles were cut from where he had punched Ethan.

"You're bleeding," she pointed out; despite how angry she was with him, she hated seeing him hurt.

He glanced down at his hand and shrugged. "I'm alright."

She tutted, rolling her eyes at his flippant attitude. "Come here," she sighed, leading him into the living room and gesturing for him to sit down as she fetched the iodine from the medicine cabinet.

Reluctantly, she perched on the couch next to him, feeling a need to fill the silence.

"I should really go and change after this," she remarked as she soaked a clean cloth in the solution.

"Don't on my account," he said with a suppressed smile.

"Well it's not really appropriate any more is it?" she said in a tense voice.

"It's not exactly anything I haven't seen before," he stated.

Jenny narrowed her eyes, and pushed the iodine-drenched cloth on his cuts. He swore loudly and tried to pull his hand out of hers, but she held it tight. "Stop being such a baby, I've got to clean it," she said, fighting the urge to laugh with difficulty.

"You're getting too much pleasure out of hurting me," he said through gritted teeth.

"That's just a happy bonus," she smiled in a false sweet manner.

After she had dressed his hand, she stood up abruptly, straightening out her nightdress as she did so.

"You should go now," she said firmly.

He sighed, running his hand through his gelled back hair. "Can we talk?"

"I've got nothing to say," she said sternly, moving towards the hall.

"Well I've got plenty to say," he retorted, getting to his feet also, although he made no movement towards the door.

She turned and let out a cool laugh. "Well there's a surprise," she said sarcastically.

"Look," he began patiently. "I know what you try and do. You never speak to me unless the baby's there, because you know I can't say much. And whenever we're alone, you just cut me off. But there's so much I want to say to you."

"Oh yeah? Like what?" she asked coldly, placing her hands on her hips.

"I miss you," he stated, taking her aback slightly - she hadn't expected him to be so forward.

"Well that's just tough isn't it?" she replied, her tone as icy as she could make it. "All of this happened because of you, not me."

"I know that."

"Then stop talking about it like none of this is your fault - like you're the one who's hard done by," she snapped, her temper rising. "The reason this is all happening is because you did what you always do, and never let me in."

"I want to let you in now."

"Well it's a bit too late for that!" she exclaimed hotly.

"But if we could just talk about it - "

"I don't want to talk Nick!" she yelled, flinging her hands in the air in frustration. "It hurts! It hurts to stand here talking to you!"

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice quivering.

"Sorry isn't going to change anything is it _darling?" _she stated, using sarcasm to cover her shaking voice. "We built a life together. We had a family, and you destroyed it. You destroyed _me_. What more do you want?"

"You!" he shouted back, closing the distance between them with two strides. "All I want is you, and Ben. That's it!"

"Well we've been doing fine without you," she lied, forcing herself to keep looking into his eyes. "I don't need you anymore."

"Well I need you," he breathed, standing in a close proximity to her that she suddenly felt unnerved.

"At least you've still got that photograph of Claudia," she pointed out cruelly.

"I've threw the photograph away a long time ago," he informed her.

"You shouldn't have," she said, looking upwards to blink away the tears. "If it was worth destroying our relationship for, then it was definitely a keeper."

"Will you stop this cold, heartless bitch facade please? It's not you."

"It is now, thanks to you," she pointed out with a mocking bow of the head.

He looked away from her, letting out a long exhale. "I never wanted things to turn out this way."

For a second, she was about to bite back with an off-hand, sarcastic comment, but the sadness and hopelessness visible in his eyes made it impossible. "I know you didn't," she said eventually in a quiet voice.

He looked back up at her, his expression genuinely surprised. "You do?"

"Of course," she answered in the same low voice. "But that doesn't change the fact that it did."

Silence cut through them again. She knew he was looking at her, trying to make eye contact, but she kept her gaze firmly on the wall opposite, knowing that as soon as she lost herself in those blue eyes, she'd either break down or lose her head completely and pull him into a kiss.

He seemed to know what she was thinking; indeed she had often suspected he had the uncanny ability to read her mind. All she knew was that right at that second, the atmosphere switched from suffocating and fragile to a palpable sexual tension. She could feel his eyes traveling over her, the intensity of his gaze making her burn, and for the life of her, she couldn't stop herself from looking up at him too. Her heart thudded wildly as he reached up and gently pushed a strand of her hair back behind her ears, closing the gap between them as he did so.

"Nick," she warned, although she didn't move away, nor make any attempt to regain her distance.

Not put off, he leaned in further, his lips brushing against her neck. She closed her eyes, unable to stop herself enjoying the feel of him - it'd been a bloody long time after all. Caught up in moment, she tiled her head to the side to allow his lips to continue what they had started as they traced the curvature of her neck, each kiss sending bolts of pleasure through her. Finally, he pulled away, his lips finding hers, and that was it - she was well and truly caught.

The euphoria engulfed them both, and in his enthusiasm, he actually picked her up with the force of his kiss, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He stumbled towards the stairs, slamming her up against the wall and groaning as her fingernails dug into his back. Their hands desperately groped at each other, all the sadness and tension they'd been feeling over the past six months trying to escape in one go, and somehow, still entwined, they managed to make it up the stairs.


	6. Back to square one

Chapter 6

Jenny opened her eyes slowly, wincing as the winter sunlight glaring at her intensely through the cracks in the curtain. For a moment as her eyes traveled the room, and she was unable to remember why she was in the spare bedroom. That was until she became aware of the warm body pressed against her. When she became more alert, she noticed that Nick's arm was wrapped around her and that he was snuggled into her back, his hot breath sending a tingling sensation down her spine. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to enjoy this blissful moment for just a while longer, letting the memory of last night wash over her. She recalled that they had been to . . . _distracted_ . . . to make it to her own bedroom down the landing, and so they had burst into the spare room, which was just at the top of the stairs, their need for each other to great to bother going any further.

It was amazing - every single second of it embedded in her mind, making her sigh in contentment. It had felt so right; so wonderfully familiar . . .

But her eyes snapped open as realisation suddenly dawned on her - they were separated! She shouldn't have let this happen! Now the break up was going to be a hundred times harder for the both of them. That's why sleeping with an ex was never a good idea.

Dammit!

As gently as she could, she lifted his arm off her and wriggled out onto her feet, picking up her nightdress that had long since been discarded on the floor, and pulled it on, feeling self-conscious now that they were in the cold light of day. However, Nick didn't stir, which she was grateful for; she needed a moment alone to pull herself together. As quietly as possible, she opened the creaking door slid out onto the landing, padding downstairs to make some _strong_ coffee. As she busied herself in the kitchen, try as she might, the memory of last night refused to leave. Obviously, the arguing and the close proximity had proved to much for them to take. If she was honest with herself, this is exactly what she'd been afraid of happening since they'd split up. She knew that were Nick was concerned, she had very little self control - that was why she had always kept her emotional distance from him since the day she had found the photograph of Claudia.

"There you are," Cutter's husky voice said, and she froze as she felt him walk up behind her, and rub his hands over her upper arms.

Then, without thinking clearly, she leaned back on him, enjoying the feel of him pressed against her too much to push him away. He ghosted his lips over her bare neck and shoulder, tenderly and lovingly, making her shiver. Caught up in disastrous second, she turned and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Next thing she knew, he had picked her up and put her on the kitchen counter, settling between her legs as the kiss deepened.

Jenny knew she could have happily continued, which in itself meant that she had to stop it, and try and get there relationship back to civility.

"Nick - " she began, pushing him away slightly. "We can't."

"Why not?" he asked, looking at her with love pouring out of his eyes.

"Because Abby will be dropping Ben off soon," she pointed out, pushing herself off the counter and turning to continue making the coffee.

He nodded slightly, although he didn't seem to be put off by her less-than-warm attitude. Instead, he hugged her from behind again.

"Last night - " he began, but she cut him off.

"Last night was a mistake," she stated in the most self-assured voice she could manage.

She felt his grip on her stiffen. "What?"

"It shouldn't have happened," she continued, still refusing to look at him. "We just got carried away - "

"Jenny, I'm your husband!" he pointed out in disbelief. "We weren't doing anything wrong!"

She turned around to face him, finding his close proximity suddenly unnerving, despite the fact that last night, they were much _much _closer. "So you think that just because we slept together, everything about Claudia has just gone away?"

"All I was thinking about last night was being with my wife!" Cutter exclaimed.

"It was a mistake," she repeated. "A mistake that I regret."

"I - I don't believe this . . ."

"Look, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have let it happen. I was stupid."

"You still love me!" he burst out. "I know you do!"

"Of course I do, and I probably always will," she replied, annoyed that she had to justify that to him after all that had happened. "But it doesn't change anything!"

"Why can't you just give us another chance?"

"You know why," she said in a firm tone. "And I think you should go."

"What?" he spluttered.

"I don't want you here when Abby drops off Ben," she explained. "It'll just confuse him."

"But I love you," he whispered in a cracked voice.

"Then why did you tape the picture back together?" she asked, reluctant tears pricking the corner of her eyes. "Why have you kept it all these years?"

"I - I don't know," he murmured, a helpless look in his eye. "I suppose I just wanted something to remember how you were back then. Something to prove I'm not mad."

"And that was worth ruining our relationship for?" she questioned numbly.

"No, of course it wasn't. But you know I love you. You _know_ it, don't you?"

"I guess . . ."

"Then why can't we try again?"

"Because Nick, you might love me now, but for a long time when we met, you would have gladly erased me from existence to get Claudia back. And I can't get past that. I'm sorry."

He remained silent, his face screwed up, whether because of anger or sorrow, it was impossible to tell.

"So," he gulped after what felt like an age. "If there's no chance of us getting back together, what was last night about?"

She shut her eyes, unable to stomach looking at him while she said this.

"It was goodbye," she whispered, her voice quivering as she looked up at him again.

The hurt look in his eye was too much for her to bare, so she turned her back on him and looked blindly through the window out into the garden. From behind her, she heard a scuffling, and then finally a door slamming, telling her that he had left. Placing her hands on the counter for support, she sucked in a ragged breath, tears falling thickly and unstoppably down her face.

Why did she have to find that picture?

* * *

Cutter kicked the stones on the street in frustration as he walked home, feeling the same terrible emptiness he had since the day Jenny had threw him out. For one blissful night, he allowed himself to believe that things could go back to the way they used to be. But it obviously wasn't to be - Jenny had made that perfectly clear. It was a slip up on her part; probably due to how much she'd drank, or how lonely she'd been. And he doubted very much that he could show up on the next date she went out on and expect the same ending to the night.

As soon as the thought of her 'next date' popped into his head, he squeezed his eyes shut against the pang in his heart. Yes, she would be sure to be going on another date soon - she was just the type of woman who could make men do whatever she wanted. It was one of the many things that they had argued about when they had got married.

x x x

_There had been an anomaly in a water park that had caused quite a bit of pandemonium; a pack of Rapters had came through, and although there were no deaths, there were several eye-witnesses, one of which was proving rather difficult to persuade that what he had seen was not a creature, but a gimmick gone wrong. Cutter had called Jenny to come down and work her PR charms on him, as he for one couldn't get the obstinate man to budge. _

"_Hi, Mr . . .?" Jenny said as she approached the man in question, using her most disarming smile as she extended her hand._

"_Wilson," the young man informed her, shaking her hand with trepidation. _

"_Wilson," she repeated with a nod, perching on the seat in front of him. "My name is Jenny Lewis, it's a pleasure to meet you," she added, settling back down on her seat and looking up at him with a rather seductive look on her face. "I bet you've had a nasty scare today, haven't you?" she asked him, her voice laced with false pity._

_He gulped and nodded, wringing his hands together and giving off the distinct image of a man who had been deeply rattled. _

"_I'm sure this has been a very traumatic experience for you," Jenny continued in a gentle voice._

"_Yes it has," he said in a shaking voice. "And like I told your friend," he shot a look round at Cutter who raised his eyebrow. "I'm not signing anything until I've seen my lawyer. I know my rights."_

"_But you're not in any trouble Mr Wilson," Jenny explained, casually crossing her legs, intentionally making the slit in her skirt expose her thigh. Cutter saw the man's eyes travel down, and a reluctant pulse of jealousy flared up inside him. "In fact, it's quite the opposite," Jenny continued, making the man's head snap up as though he'd remembered himself. "But I need you to promise me that you won't tell anyone what you saw today."_

_The man hesitated for a moment before replying. "I think people have the right to know that dangerous creatures are wandering around London - "_

"_And I think that's very brave of you," Jenny whispered, leaning forwards slightly and suggestively playing with her necklace. "To want to protect people. But the fact of the matter is Mr Wilson that if you tell anyone about this, you'll be doing more harm than good. We can't do our job's properly if we've got to deal with public outcry and hysteria. Surely a smart man such as yourself can understand that?"_

"_I . . . I suppose . . ." he stammered, his eyes following the movement of her necklace._

"_And if you expose us and our work, you'd be putting my job on the line," she continued with a false sigh as she bent down to pick up her brief case, exposing the plunging neckline of her blouse. "And I'm sure you wouldn't want to put me in a compromising position would you?" she asked in an innocent voice as she straightened up._

"_Um . . . well . . ." he mumbled, obviously picking up on the double entendre there. _

"_And if you could just help me out," she interrupted, blinking up at him with her big brown eyes, "I'd be eternally grateful."_

"_Um . . ." he said again, looking hopelessly at her as she sat back in her chair, surveying him with expectation. "Well, I suppose I do that . . ."_

"_Wonderful," Jenny said curtly as she reached into her briefcase, pulling out a copy of the Official Secrets Act and handing it to him. _

_She stood and rounded his chair, sweeping her hair to the side as she leaned over him. "I need you to sign here . . ." she pointed at the paper on his lap, "here . . ." she pointed at another point on the form, " . . . and here," she finished looking around at him with a smile. His eyes, which were previously looking down her top snapped back up at her, and he nodded immediately, taking the pen that she offered him._

_Jenny stood back and watched him as he scribbled his signature, and whether purposely or not, she avoided catching Cutter's eye. When the man had finished, she hurriedly filed the Official Secrets Act away in her briefcase, flashing him a glorious smile. _

"_Thank you Mr Wilson," she said with a wink, and then she walked off, leaving him looking dazed in the care of Becker and his men._

_Cutter followed her, still seething as he caught up to her pace._

"_Close one right?" she said conversationally as they rounded a corner._

"_Aye," he said through gritted teeth. "Maybe next time you can give the guy a lapdance? You'd probably get him to agree much quicker."_

_She stopped walking abruptly and turned to face him, looking confused. "What's that supposed to mean?"_

"_You know exactly what I mean," he snapped._

_She laughed, despite there being nothing remotely humourous about the situation. "Are you actually jealous?" _

"_Watching my wife throw herself at some guy? No, I'm not the least bit jealous," he retorted sarcastically. _

"_I was doing my job!" she exclaimed, looking offended. "I do what I have to do to keep our secret - " _

"_Clearly," he stated coldly._

"_What the hell is your problem?" she demanded, crossing her arms tightly. _

"_My problem is that I thought that when you married me, all this ridiculous behaviour would stop."_

"_Ridiculous behaviour?" she repeated in a disbelieving tone. "Listen Nick, my job is to persuade people to keep quiet about what they see. And if sometimes I have to flirt with some idiot to get the job done than so be it. My job description hasn't changed just because I happen to be your wife."_

"_That's funny, because I thought married women carried themselves with a little more dignity than that," he spat._

"_Oh grow up Nick!" she snapped, giving him a dirty look before stalking off._

x x x

Cutter scowled to himself at the memory; it was hard enough having a good-looking ex-wife, let alone one that was practically seen as a goddess by men. She was sure to meet someone else soon, and then all hopes of a reconciliation would be dashed. And what would he have left? He was terrible with women, even if he did have any desire to date again, which he certainly did not. In fact, the mere thought of being with another woman made him shiver with disgust. Obviously, Jenny didn't feel the same way - she couldn't do, not if she went out with that guy last night. She was ready to move on, and despite what had happened last night, she had made it clear that she didn't want him anymore.

And that made him feel like life wasn't worth living.


	7. Bad dreams

Chapter 7

Jenny sat in her kitchen table with a coffee mug in her hand, impatiently jiggling her foot up and down as she waited for Abby to drop off Ben. She was so mad at her for setting them up, but the more she thought about it, the more she was angry with herself for being so bloody weak. It wasn't like her - usually, once she had made her mind up about something, that was it - she stuck to it. But when it came to Nick, as usual, her feelings were all over the place. He had the ability to make all her resolutions and ideals crumble with just one look from those piercing blue eyes. And she _hated_ it. She hated the fact that all her happiness hung on another person; hated the fact that she had once prided herself on being able to control her emotions and keep them hidden behind a painted smile, and now she couldn't for the life of her do the same with respect to Nick. Surely doing the right thing shouldn't be this hard?

Her ears pricked as she heard a car pull up outside, and she listened as Abby's voice became discernable through the open window.

" . . . maybe it's best not to mention that to your mum," she was giggling.

"But I really want one!" Ben replied, his voice displaying his excitement.

"She'll never agree to that, she's terrified of the things!" Abby exclaimed as the doorbell rang.

Jenny set down her cup, and got to her feet with a sigh, unsure as to what she was going to do now. As she opened the door, Ben flew in and hugged her legs, chattering away at a hundred miles a minute.

"Mummy! Guess what? Abby let me hold all of her snakes! Even the big one - "

"None of them are poisonous," Abby added to her, clearly misreading Jenny's stony expression. "And Sarah and I were there the whole time - "

"Can I get a snake mum?" Ben asked. "Please, I'll take really good care of it!"

"Of course you can have a snake, if you don't mind me moving out as well," Jenny replied with a forced smile.

He stood back, as though considering it for a moment, before he shook his head. "No, I'd rather have you," he sighed, sounding disappointed.

"Oh, good to know," she said with a fake laugh as he ran off into the house, leaving Jenny alone with Abby.

"Well, I guess I should just - " Abby began, half turning as though to leave, but Jenny cut her off.

"Erm, not so fast," she said sternly, and Abby turned back to her, looking like a naughty school kid who had been caught smoking behind the bike shed. "You've got to stay for a coffee now that you're here," Jenny added with a sarcastic sweet smile, before walking back to the kitchen, Abby trotting along behind her with her head hung.

Jenny checked to see that Ben was out of hearing distance, and once she was sure he was busy watching the telly, she turned back to a guilty-looking Abby.

"What were you thinking?" she demanded in a strained whisper.

"I'm sorry," Abby sighed, looking down at the floor. "We were just trying to help - "

"Sarah couldn't face me, could she?" Jenny guessed.

"She had things to do," Abby replied shiftily, but when she saw the look on Jenny's face, she added, "Well that, and you scare the hell out of her. And she said because it was my idea, it was up to me to apologise."

"This isn't a game Abby," Jenny snapped, her blood pressure rising. "I can't believe you'd pull something like this!"

"I just thought that if Cutter got jealous and showed up on your date that you would have the chance to talk things through - "

"Abby, we are both still devastated about what happened, and last night - " she cut herself off, pushing back her fringe with a shaking hand. "Last night just bought everything back up."

"Why, what happened?" Abby asked quietly.

Jenny took a deep breath, steadying her voice. "We slept together," she admitted eventually, squeezing her eyes together in embarrassment.

"You and Nick?" Abby gapped in disbelief.

"No, me and Lester," Jenny replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Yes, of course me and Nick!"

"Oh," Abby said, looking as though she was lost for words. "Well . . . was it . . .?" she said quietly, raising her eyebrows.

"Well that's besides the point!" Jenny scoffed, being careful to control the volume of her voice. "We were in a good routine before last night happened. It wasn't ideal, but we were trying to get along for Ben's sake. Now, I can barely look him in the eye!"

"Look, I'm sorry,"Abby said again, looking as though she genuinely meant it. "I didn't mean for that to happen. I just - "

"I know," Jenny sighed, her anger abating slightly as she realised that Abby looked upset. "I know you were just trying to help. But you've got to understand - the reason we split up in the first place . . . well . . . it's never going to go away. And no amount of talking or _sex_ . . ." she added in an undertone, ". . . is going to change that."

"But I _don't_ understand, that's the point!" Abby exclaimed hotly. "One day, you were happy, and the next you were talking about getting a divorce. I just don't get it! You were both so in love. That doesn't just go away, does it?"

"No, of course not," Jenny explained patiently. "That's probably why last night happened. But there's just no way we can be together again."

"But why?" Abby pushed. "I need to know _why_."

"It doesn't matter," Jenny answered immediately. She didn't want anyone to know about Claudia - the shame of having to tell people that her husband had only married her because she looked like his lost lover was too much to take.

Abby sighed deeply, and looked up at her with sympathy and guilt in her eyes. "I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't be asking. If you and Cutter want to keep it between yourselves, then that's fine. But I'll just say this - no matter what he's done Jenny, he loves you and Ben more than anything. And whatever split you both up in the first place . . . surely it's not as important as that, is it?"

Jenny opened her mouth to reply, but closed it again immediately as words failed her. Abby gave her a weak smile and leaned forward, resting her hand on Jenny's arm in a gesture of comfort. "Just think about it, okay?" she said kindly, and for a lack of anything to say, Jenny found herself nodding.

* * *

Ever since Nick had moved out, Jenny had been plagued with terrible nightmares; mainly consisting of creatures moving in the darkness, and then that face . . . that face that was all to familiar would pop up, red hair flowing, and smiling at something invisible. Then, out of nowhere, she would start screaming as the darkness grew, enveloping her, and Nick's voice could be heard shouting 'Claudia! Claudia!' over and over again, and Jenny would wake herself up, mumbling 'But my name's Jenny!'. It was only when she realised that she was in her bed, perfectly safe, and with brown hair, not red, that she would relax and lie back down, heart still hammering and her hands trembling.

However, this reoccurring dream wasn't what woke her from her slumber on that particular night. She had been in the middle of a vivid nightmare that she was in a dark room which she had first taken to be empty - that was until she spotted the glass cage in the corner. In it, banging her palms furiously against one of the panes of glass, was Claudia, looking distressed. Jenny ran over to her, and the woman stopped banging, her identical brown eyes studying her, a shocked expression on her face. Claudia's palms were still pressed against the glass, and Jenny placed her hands on it also, mirroring the position of hers. Claudia looked at their hands, before she glanced back up at Jenny, looking her directly in the eye as she mouthed something. Jenny shook her head, indicating that she couldn't hear her, so Claudia repeated herself; this time, her lips clearly formed two words.

'Help me . . .'

All of a sudden, Jenny felt herself being wrenched out of her dream as something hit her square in the chest, forcing her awake with a gasp.

"Mummy!" Ben's panicked voice shouted, and through the confusion, she realised that he had jumped on top of her. "Mummy, wake up!"

"What?" she said groggily, gently pushing him off her and onto the other side of the bed.

"Mummy, there's a woman in my woom!" he continued.

"What are you talking about?"

"In my woom! A woman!" he repeated, shaking her arm.

"In your room," Jenny corrected him in a croaky voice, propping herself up on her elbows to get a better look at his face.

"Yes!" he sighed in aspiration.

"Sweetheart, you were just having a bad dream," she soothed, her sympathy for his panic outweighing her annoyance at the wake up call.

"No, it not!" he insisted.

"Yes, it was. Believe me, I know," she sighed, flopping back down on her pillow and closing her eyes. "Just go back to bed darling," she added, nudging him slightly. "Go on, it's really late."

"I can't 'cause of the woman!" he shouted, shaking her arm more persistently.

Groaning, knowing she wasn't going to get to go back to sleep until she had gone to check his room, Jenny forced her tired legs out of bed and got up, staggering slightly in the semi-darkness. Her eyes still half shut, she walked across the landing like a zombie and pushed opened Ben's bedroom door. She stepped inside, turning on the light as she did so. Of course, the room was empty.

"See, there's no one in here," she said to him patiently.

"There was!" he yelled, his little face looking upset.

With a sigh, she opened the wardrobe door, finding it overflowing with clothes, but with no strange woman in there. Then, she sunk down to her hands and knees, peering under his bed.

Nothing.

"Ben, there's no one here," she said as she straightened up. "It was just your mind playing tricks on you. I promise you, you're completely safe here."

Clearly unconvinced, he sniffed and looked up at her with his big blue eyes. "Can I sleep with you?" he asked in a small, timid voice that was so unlike him.

Jenny sighed and folded her arms, fixing him with a stern look. "You're not going to let me get any sleep tonight if I say no, are you?"

He shook his head immediately.

She rolled her eyes. "Go one then," she said in a resigned voice.

"Yes!" he hissed, turning and running back to her bedroom.

By the time she got back and closed the door behind her, he had already made himself comfortable on her side of the bed, and with a groan of mock-frustration, she got in beside him and pushed him gently. "Oi you, that's my side."

"I'm making it warm for you Mummy," he said, smiling with his eyes closed.

"Hmm, I don't believe you. I think you've stolen it," she said in a pretend hurt voice as she rested her head next to his.

"You can have it back tomorrow," he yawned sleepily, his hand closing around her finger.

She smiled and closed her eyes also, feeling herself relax now that her son was next to her. She didn't know why, but every time he slept in her room, she didn't have any bad dreams. God, she loved him so much. She would have never thought it possible before she had him, but he was the most important thing in her world. It was silly really to think that when she and Nick had split up, one of the things she had been worried about was being a single mother. Sure, it wasn't easy at times, but she made it work, just like her own mother had told her she would.

x x x

_Jenny rang the bell of her parent's house, forcing her hand to stay steady as she waited for her mother to answer. She knew that her eyes were swollen from crying, but there was nothing she could do about that now. She had to pick Ben up, and if she had waited until she looked more presentable, then she probably wouldn't be fetching him for a long time. After what seemed like an age, her mother answered._

"_I've just put him down for a nap - " she began, but stopped dead as her eyes rested on Jenny's face. They narrowed slightly. "What's the matter?" she demanded immediately._

_Jenny was about to brush her off and say that everything was fine. But she couldn't bring herself to. Whether because it was seeing her mother's face furrowed in uncharacteristic concern, or because of her fragile emotions, Jenny was unsure, but before she could stop herself, she had put her hand over her mouth to muffle a sob._

"_Mum . . ." she gasped, screwing her face up in a futile attempt to keep the tears at bay. _

"_Jennifer - what? What is it?" her mother pushed as she reached froward and pulling her into the foyer. _

"_I - I don't know where to start!" Jenny cried, aware that she was shaking uncontrollably._

_The next thing she knew, she was being ushered into the lounge and onto the sofa, and a glass of brandy was being thrust into her hands. _

"_Now," her mother said calmly, taking a seat next to her. "What's happened?"_

_Jenny took a sip of her drink, her hand trembling so much that her teeth chattered against the glass. She could barely taste the alcohol, telling her that she was too numb to feel anything._

"_Nick - " she began, making sure she was careful of how much she said. "Nick and I . . . .we're over."_

"_Why?" her mother demanded, sounding shocked._

"_It's just over," Jenny repeated numbly. _

"_Did he cheat on you?" she demanded, sounding angry. "I told you Jennifer - I told you before you married him that he wasn't right for you - "_

"_He didn't cheat on me," Jenny interjected, despite everything that had happened, still feeling a protectiveness over her husband. "Well, not really . . ."_

"_What do you mean 'not really'?" her mother probed. "Either he was unfaithful to you, or he wasn't. There's no middle ground!"_

"_He . . ." Jenny tried again, her voice sounding like a scratched record. "He doesn't love me. He never has."_

_Her mother was silent for a few moments and she surveyed Jenny with her eyebrows slightly raised. _

"_Jennifer, I've never been Nicholas's biggest fan, but I can say with absolute confidence that that's certainly not the case," she said eventually, her tone implying that it was reluctant. "He worships the ground you walk on. And why wouldn't he? He knows he's lucky that you even looked at him twice - "_

"_You don't understand," Jenny sighed, closing her eyes as another tear cascaded down her cheek. "He was in love with someone else when we met . . . someone I remind him of . . . he only married me because I look like her."_

"_Ridiculous!"_

"_It's true!" Jenny cried, burying her face in her hands. "He told me today. I found a picture of her, and everything came out. He said that if he could have erased me to get her back, then he would have done - " she broke off into another sob; the pain of remembering his words were too great._

_She felt her mum paused beside her, and after a couple of moments, she did something very unexpected - she gently placed her hand on Jenny's shoulder in a gesture of comfort that shocked Jenny out of her hysterics. She didn't think her mother was capable of such a display of affection._

"_Jennifer, look at me," she said, and reluctantly, Jenny raised her tear-stained face. "You are a beautiful, intelligent woman who has everything going for her. And if it's really over between you and Nicholas . . . well . . . it's not the end of the world. You'll meet someone else who's better suited to you - "_

"_I don't want anyone else," Jenny snapped, wiping the tears away impatiently. _

_She could tell that her mother wanted to argue that point a little more, but she seemed to think better of it, as she held her tongue, which Jenny appreciated - she didn't need to hear how many eligible bachelors there were for her to have instead. _

"_Oh god," Jenny said as a sudden though struck her. "I - I can't do this - "_

"_What?"_

"_Ben," Jenny breathed. "I can't do it. It's too much -"_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Ben . . . I can't raise him all by myself," she cried, a fresh wave of sobs enveloping her._

"_You can," her mother said, reaching forward and taking her hand._

"_How do you know?"_

"_Because you have to," she said firmly, squeezing her hand. "You don't have a choice. You'll find a way to do it. And I'm here, any time you need me. I know you'd rather poke out your own eyes than ask my for help, but the offers there."_

_Jenny let out a shaky laugh, and she calmed slightly as she looked up at her mum. "You really think I can do it alone?"_

"_Of course you can," she replied confidently. "I didn't raise you to be weak, and one thing I know your not is a quitter. You're strong and stubborn - that's how I know you'll be just fine," she smiled, reaching forward and wiping the wetness away from under Jenny's eye. "And the one thing I know I've taught you is to never be emotionally reliant on a man. They always break your heart in the end."_

"_I wish I would have listened to you," Jenny sniffed, running her hand through her hair. "I was stupid to think I could have it all."_

"_Sweetheart, you're not the first woman to say that, and you most certainly won't be the last. Men are more trouble than they're worth. You only need one in your life - little Benjamin. He's all you need for the time being."_

"_You're right," Jenny nodded, taking a deep breath and composing herself as best she could. "I just need to focus on him."_

x x x

Jenny must have drifted off to sleep as some point as she thought about the past. All she did know was that she awoke suddenly and unexplainably. She had Ben in her arms, fast asleep, breathing rhythmically against her chest. She looked around the room for a moment, unable to shake off the feeling that something wasn't right. Then, her eyes rested on the door, and she noticed that it was open a crack, and light from the landing lamp was pouring in through the gap, casting a sallow glow around the room. But Jenny was certain she had shut the door over when she and Ben had gone back to bed . . .

Bemused, she rolled Ben over gently, being careful not to wake him, and got to her feet, crossing the room and opening the door. She peered down her long landing, unable to squash the feeling of uneasiness that flooded her stomach.

There was no one there of course - what exactly had she been expecting? She was just shaken up by the bad dreams and lack of sleep, and she was allowing her mind to run riot. Shaking her head as her own silliness, she shut the door again, making sure it was firmly closed before carefully making her way back to bed. Hopefully, she could have a peaceful sleep for the rest of the night to rid her off the paranoia she was obviously feeling.


	8. Denial and resentment

Chapter 8

It must have only been about six o'clock on Sunday morning, and yet Jenny lay in bed, wide awake, staring up at the ceiling as the winter dawn darkness refused to abate. She was exhausted after a very unsettled sleep, but despite this, she didn't anticipate getting any more shut eye - her mind was way too alert. With a sigh, she turned onto her side and rested her arm under her head, watching Ben as he slept peacefully next to her. As she stared at his innocent face, she couldn't help her mind wandering to how unfair this all was on him. He didn't know what had happened between her and Nick, and even if he did, he wouldn't understand. He wouldn't understand that his mother had once been someone else - that she _should_ have been someone else. He wouldn't understand that the discovery had severed the bond that Jenny and Nick had shared; the connection that had made them, well, _them_ was irreparably broken. He wouldn't understand any of it, and Jenny didn't want him too. Ever. Yet she knew that it was inevitable that one day - perhaps when he was a teenager - he would ask her why she had been unable to keep their family together, and then what was she going to say? Was she going to lie straight to her son's face? Brush him off in the same way she had done with Abby and Sarah? She didn't think she'd be able to do that. But either way, he would probably end up hating her for sending his dad away.

She closed her eyes as the pain of that thought throbbed through her heart. Yes, whether she lied to him about the reason or not, he was sure to harbour some resentment towards Jenny for breaking up their family. He was already unsettled about it all, or at least he had been when Nick had first moved out.

x x x

_It had been two weeks since Jenny had found the photograph of Claudia, and she was doing anything she could to try and detach herself emotionally from it all, or else she knew she was going to have a breakdown. One of her ways was to try reading more books in an attempt to lose herself in another world and escape from the hell that was her own, but it wasn't working. She only realised that when it dawned on her that she had re-read one particular line about ten times without taking any of it in. With a groan of frustration, she flung the book across the room so that it smacked against the wall, the pages sprawling as it landed on the floor with a thump. She ran her hands over her face and closed her eyes against the terrible hollowness that refused to leave her stomach._

_Keep it together . . . keep in together, she thought to herself fruitlessly._

_It was only when she heard Ben crying in his room that she raised her head, snapping herself back into reality. Immediately, she scurried out of bed and hurried across the landing, pushing open his door to find him sitting up, and crying into his tiny hands._

"_What's wrong sweetheart?" she asked in a gentle tone, crossing his room and sinking down onto his bed._

"_I - I w-want my d-daddy!" he cried inbetween deep, shuddering breaths._

_At his words, Jenny's heart seemed to break._

"_I know you do," she sighed, shuffling closer to him and pulling him into a hug. "I do too."_

"_But h-he said he didn't w-wanna go!" he sobbed into her chest. "H-he said you didn't want him to be w-with us anymore!"_

_Jenny's blood ran cold, and a bolt of indignity shot through her as she absorbed what her son had just said._

"_He said that?" Jenny demanded immediately, disengaging herself from him slightly. "When?"_

"_T-today, wh-wh-when he took me for t-tea," he replied, still struggling to catch his breath through the sobs._

_Fury started to build up inside her as she pulled Ben into another hug, gently stroking his hair and rocking him slightly to calm him down. However, there was no way she could calm herself down - internally, she was completely livid! How dare Nick! How dare he say something like that to Ben! How dare he make out like it was all her fault! As her son fell asleep in her arms, Jenny made her mind up about something . . ._

_The next day, Jenny drove up to that all too familiar building, still as angry about what Ben had said to her as she was the night before. She flashed her old identification card at the guard, who let her in without question, either because he recognised her from six months ago, or because he was just plain stupid. Which ever one it was, Jenny didn't really give a toss - she was to focused on the task at hand. She parked up rather haphazardly in the space she had previously called her own and stormed into the familiar generic building, the clicking of her heels making an unnecessary amount of noise on the pristine white floor. She made her way directly to the 'matrix room' as it was called, knowing it was more than likely that Nick would be in there._

_Sure enough, she pushed open the door to find Nick in there, staring at the matrix model, accompanied by Connor and Sarah, who were sitting behind a desk, half-hidden behind a teetering pile of research papers. Everyone's head snapped around as the door smacked against the wall. Nick's face furrowed in mingled shock and confusion, but Sarah let out an noise of excitement, looking incredibly happy to see her._

"_Jenny!" Connor said with a smile, half-standing in a greeting. "It's good to see you!"_

_Jenny, however, ignored him, her anger at Nick to great to allow her to exchange pleasantries. _

"_You!' she pointed her finger at Nick furiously, feeling herself trembling with indignance. "Don't you DARE say anything about this break up to Ben again!"_

_The smile on Sarah and Connor's face vanished in an instant, and Connor sat back down again sheepishly, trying to hide behind a conveniently placed stack of papers. Nick looked utterly perplexed at the sudden verbal attack, making Jenny even more furious._

"_Jenny, I - " he stammered._

"_No, I'm being serious!" she cut him off, not wanting to hear any of his excuses. "I had to rock him to sleep last night because of what you said to him! About it being me that didn't want you to come home! He was in tears!"_

"_I didn't say it like that!" Nick exclaimed hotly._

"_Maybe we should give you some privacy - " Sarah said tentatively, glancing round at Connor who was watching the argument with his mouth slightly open._

"_No, it's okay Sarah, I'm nearly done," Jenny said to her, her eyes not leaving Nick's face. "If you ever say anything like that to my son again, I'll stop you seeing him. Do I make myself clear?" she added to Nick in a forced-calm voice._

"_You can't do that, I'm his father!"_

"_Watch me!" she snarled. "You've left me alone to raise our son by myself, so I'll do what I like!"_

"_You kicked me out!"_

"_After what you did, you're lucky that all I did was kick you out!" she yelled, feeling her contempt for him rise with each passing second._

"_What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded, stepping right into her personal space._

"_Well next time you blame all this on me, you'll find out won't you?" she said in the most threatening voice she could muster, stepping even closer to him, refusing to back down._

"_Jenny, come on," Connor's voice interjected, and she was surprised to find him standing next to her, pulling on her arm gently. Sarah was tugging on Nick's shoulder to pull him away also. "Come out here with me," Connor said in a soft but firm voice, taking her by the elbow and leading her out of the doors. _

_Jenny threw Nick one final look of loathing before she allowed herself to be taken out. Connor walked her a bit down the corridor before he turned and stopped in front of her, looking at her with concern._

"_You alright?" he asked, his hands either side of her arms._

_She put her still-shaking hand up to her mouth and rested the back of it on her lips, fighting back the tears as she nodded her head. Now that the anger had left her, the same numb emptiness was setting in again. _

"_It's okay you know," Connor said. "It's okay to let it all out. It's good for you."_

_She looked up at him, finding the sympathy in his expression too much to take. _

"_I'm sorry," she said in a quivering voice. "I shouldn't have come here - "_

"_You're welcome here any time you want, you know that," he pointed out. "Although," he added with a slight smile, "maybe next time, you could try not to scare the crap out of us?"_

_She let out a small laugh, as a tear glided down her cheek. "I can't make any promises," she joked back._

_He smiled, and pulled her into a slightly uncomfortable one armed hug. "Well you wouldn't be our Jenny if you weren't a bit scary I suppose - "_

_She laughed again as she pulled away, wiping away the mascara from under her eyes. "I'm just going to go before I humiliate myself any further."_

"_Okay," he nodded. "But you know where I am if you need me. Or if Ben fancies learning how to kick ass in the new Final Fantasy game."_

"_I'll bare that in mind," she smiled, and he squeezed her arm before she turned to leave._

_As she walked back past the matrix room, she could hear raised voices coming out of it._

" _. . .Cutter, go out there and talk to her!" Sarah shouted, sounding angry._

"_Why? What's the point?" Nick yelled back. "You saw her! She hates me!"_

_Jenny hurried past the room and didn't slow down her pace until she was out of ear-shot of their argument. As she walked back to her car, she squeezed her eyes shut as Nick's words cut into her like a knife._

'_She hates me . . .'_

_She didn't hate him. She loved him more than anything else in the world, except, of course, for Ben. She had thought he was her soul-mate; she had felt it pretty much as soon as they had met, but because she was engaged at the time, she hadn't allowed herself to believe it. But now she knew the painful truth - it was Claudia and Nick who were the soul mates. She had walked in on someone else's love story, and found herself caught up in it. But no more, she thought to herself as she slid into her car. That was it now - she wasn't going to let this destroy her. She wasn't going to keep feeling angry at something she couldn't change. She just had to accept the fact that she had made a mistake, and now it was time to move on. No more wallowing in self-pity, or making a public scene._

_Enough._

x x x

Jenny sat up slowly so that she didn't wake up Ben, adjusting her vest top as she quietly slipped out of bed and tiptoed out of the door. If she was going to function on severe lack of sleep today, she would need a mug of very strong coffee - or perhaps several . . .

Yawning slightly as she walked into her kitchen, she flipped the switch on the kettle and reached for the biggest mug she owned . . .

"I'll have a coffee too if you're making one," a cold voice spoke from behind her.

Jenny let out an involuntary scream and turned on the spot, her heart somewhere in her throat. As her eyes found the culprit, she let the mug fall from her fingers in shock, and it smashed to pieces on her wooden floor.

There, in the shadowy corner, reclining back on a chair with her feet on the side table, was a figure that Jenny knew all too well, despite not having seen it in years.

Helen Cutter.

Panic taking over, Jenny wrenched her cutlery draw open and frantically fished inside it, eventually pulling out a large knife. She held it out in front of her, breathing hard and fast.

Helen didn't look at all perplexed by her reaction. Casually, she got to her feet and took a few paces forward, causing Jenny to raise the knife slightly higher, making sure her eyes didn't miss a movement the woman made.

"We need to talk," Helen stated simply, surveying her coolly with her hands on her hips.


	9. Trapped

Chapter 9

"Get out!" Jenny snarled, desperately trying to keep her hand steady as she held the knife up.

Helen smirked and folded her arms, raising an eyebrow as though she found the situation amusing. the woman had changed a little since the last time Jenny had seen her. She was wearing tight black jeans with black boots, coupled with a black vest top and black jacket, and a long silver necklace dangling from her neck. It was a great contrast to the practical attire she usually donned. Her hair was different also; it was a little longer, flicking around her face casually. But she had the same cold brown eyes that reminded Jenny of dark passage ways; she had the same look of disdain on her face - as though she and she alone knew the truth about everything, and that conversing with 'mere mortals' was beneath her.

Her eyes flickered casually from the knife back up to Jenny's face. "There's no need to be dramatic Jenny, I'm not going to hurt you."

Jenny laughed coldly. "That's funny. Because the last time I saw you, you kidnapped me, and set a Saber-Tooth Cat on my friends and I. Forgive me if I don't believe you."

"That was a long time ago," Helen sighed, raising her arms and stretching. "By the way, your couch wasn't very comfortable. I'd suggest investing in a new one - "

"You spent the night here?" Jenny demanded, before realisation dawned on her, and for a second, she felt physically sick. "It was you in Ben's room? How - how _dare_ you!"

"Oh relax, I just wanted to take a look at him," she simpered, glancing over at the photograph of him that was on the table. "He's the image of Nick, isn't he? That must kill you - "

"Shut your mouth!" Jenny spat, feeling the anger bubble over.

"Come come now Jenny, lets keep things civil," she smirked, taking a step closer to the breakfast bar that separated the two of them. "It's funny isn't it? I mean, who knew we'd have so much in common after all this time? Both ex wives of Nick Cutter. We should start some sort of club - we could sit and gossip about his next wife - "

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Jenny shouted, her hand shaking with fury.

"Sorry," she said in the most unapologetic voice imaginable. "It must still be too raw for you. I am rather curious though. About what split you two up? Was he diddling the nanny or something?"

Jenny laughed in incredulity, still holding the knife up to the vile woman in front of her.

"No, that's not it . . ." Helen continued with a wistful sigh. "Nick's way too moral for that sort of thing. Unless . . ." she trailed off, her dark eyes searching Jenny's face, a smile twitching on her lips. "Unless you found out about Claudia?" she added, her even tone not quite hiding her delight at the notion.

Jenny hesitated, caught off guard by her words, and in a second she knew that Helen had read everything in her expression.

"Oh dear," Helen sighed in a mock-pitying voice, rounding the counter ever so slightly.

"You stay where you are!" Jenny yelled.

"God, he loved her _very_ much," Helen continued, a cruel smile on her thin lips. "He saved her life quite a few times you know. It brought them closer together."

Jenny wanted to tell her to shut up again, but something silenced her, and she stayed rooted to the spot, unable to move or barely breath, a part of her needing to hear what Helen had to say about Claudia.

" . . . he ran into a pterosaur infested room for her and pulled her out. And then, when they were trapped together in a hotel room, he kissed her - "

"Stop," Jenny said, disgusted in how weak and pathetic her voice sounded.

Helen's smile widened. "I don't know what his problem was anyway. I, for one, think you're an improvement on the original. You've got a bit more fight in you. I like that in a woman. You remind me a bit of myself - "

"I'm nothing like you!" Jenny spat acidly.

Helen tittered slightly. "Have it your way," she said in an amused voice. "You clearly don't take complements very well."

Jenny opened her mouth to reply, but closed it again immediately as she heard the sound she had been dreading. The gentle pitter-patter of tiny footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs.

She froze, fear flooding every vein in her body. Helen was a dangerous, unpredictable woman, and her baby was about to walk into a room with her.

Helen looked up at the ceiling, clearly picking up on the noise herself, before glancing back at Jenny, smiling slightly. "Imagine what that little boy's going to think when he walks in and sees his mother holding up a knife to some poor woman."

Dammit!

Helen, for all her self indulgent bullshit, was right - Jenny couldn't let her son see this! But she was very reluctant to put the knife down; it was her only weapon, as she doubted very much that Helen herself was unarmed. But the footsteps were drawing closer . . . she had no choice . . .

As Ben rounded the corner and stepped into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes, Jenny slammed the knife down onto the breakfast counter and hitched a fake smile on her face. He looked up, about to say something to Jenny, but hesitated as his eyes rested on Helen, who stood watching him with a pleasent smile on her face.

"Who are you?" he asked, looking surprised to find someone else in the house.

To Jenny's utter horror, Helen walked up to him, bending her knees so that her face was level with his.

"I'm Helen," she said in a sweet voice. "I'm a friend of your mum and dads from a _long_ time ago. What's your name?"

"Ben," he answered her innocently.

"Ben . . . that's a lovely name," Helen crooned. "Tell me Ben, how old are you?"

"I'm three and a half years old," he answered immediately, his head high.

"Well aren't you a big boy then?" Helen smiled.

"My daddy said that if I keep growing like this, I'll be as big as him soon," Ben said proudly.

"Well, your dad is a very smart man, so I wouldn't be surprised," she laughed, reaching forward and ruffling his hair.

It was the sight of her touching him that pushed Jenny too far. Before that, she hadn't wanted to scare Ben by letting him see how panicked she was about Helen's presence, but watching her act like his friend made her stomach churn.

"Ben, sweetheart, come here a second," she said in the calmest voice she could muster.

Immediately, he trotted over to her, the bottom of his pajamas trailing on the floor slightly as he walked.

"Why don't you go and play in your room for a while, hmm? Helen and I have a lot of catching up to do," she said, shooting Helen a stern look.

"Okay mummy," he shrugged.

"Come here and let me fix your pajamas first, or you'll end up falling down the stairs," Jenny added, her heart hammering as she bent down.

Hidden behind the counter, out of Helen's view, she spoke to him in a low tone that was almost inaudible. She looked into his eyes meaningfully. "Do you remember what I told you to do if something ever happened to me?" she asked, barely moving her lips.

He looked up at her, confusion written all over his face, but he nodded.

"Good, go and do it then," she whispered, pulling him into a hug to bring his ear closer to her lips. "My mobile's on my bedside table. Don't tell that woman what you're doing."

She straightened up, hoping beyond hope that he followed her instructions. Since becoming a single parent, she had ensured he was prepared incase something ever happened to her, making sure he'd know what to do if she collapsed, or worse. It may have been morbid, but she needed to know that he'd be okay; that he'd know how to get help. A while ago, she had sat down with him and shown him what buttons to press on her mobile to make the call . . . she only hoped that he remembered what to do.

Without another word, he turned and shuffled past Helen, not looking up at her, or indeed, anywhere else except the floor. Jenny knew she had scared him, but she needed him to make the phone call, because if Helen attacked her, and she couldn't fight back hard enough, he would be alone with her. And Jenny couldn't let that happen.

"Bye Ben, see you soon!" Helen shouted after him, waving slightly before she turned back to Jenny. "He's very advanced for a three year old."

"I know," Jenny answered coldly, feeling numb with fury. "Now you listen to me; if you touch him, or so much as speak to him again, I'll kill you. Do you understand?"

"And there was me thinking I was being friendly," she sighed in mock-disappointment. "You know, I usually can't stand other people's brats, but yours is almost cute. It'd be a shame if something were to happen to him - "

"Don't you threaten him," Jenny retorted with as much venom as she could.

"I'm not," Helen replied, her voice laced with cold amusement. "Why do you think I'm here? I need to warn you about something."

"And you think I'm going to believe a word you say?" Jenny laughed humourlessly.

"Well if you don't, thousands - maybe millions - of people are going to die," she stated, placing her hands on her hips again.

Jenny paused, her eyes studying the woman's face for any sign that she was lying. "Is that supposed to scare me?" she said eventually, making sure her voice didn't betray her uneasiness.

"Yes," she answered coldly. "Unless you're very, very stupid."

* * *

Cutter jolted awake as the mobile on his bedside table vibrated against the wood, frightening the bloody life out of him. When his heart started back up again, he reached for it, answering it without bothering to see who was calling first.

"Hello?" he said groggily into the mouthpiece.

"Daddy?"

Immediately, Cutter sat bolt upright.

"Ben?" he gapped in confusion. "What is it?"

"I dunno, mummy told me to phone," his son's cute voice said. "She's down in the kitchen talking to Helen."

For the second time in as many seconds, Cutter's heart seemed to stop.

"Helen?" he demanded, unable to hide his sheer terror. "Are you sure son?"

"Yes - " he said casually.

In a shot, Cutter was out of bed, fumbling to pull his pants on with one hand whilst keeping the phone against his ear with the other.

"Right Ben, do you want to play a game? Does that sound fun?" he asked as he hopped into one of his pants legs, trying to inject a bit of fake excitement into his voice.

"Yes!" Ben said enthusiastically.

"Right, I want you to go and hide somewhere upstairs, okay?" he continued in a forced-calm voice. "And I'm going to come round now, and I'm going to try and find you."

"Okay!"

"But you've got to pick a really good place, and not make any noise okay?" Cutter pushed, desperate to make sure his son was safe from his sociopath of an ex-wife.

"Okay," Ben said, his smile evident in his voice. "Bye daddy."

"Bye," Cutter said, throwing the phone on the bed as he grabbed his shirt on, not even bothering to button it up in his haste to get to Jenny.


	10. The bad news

Chapter 10

"If you have something to tell me Helen, just say it and get out," Jenny snapped, torn between her desire to reach for the knife again and her instinct not to antagonize the woman.

"Now now, why rush it?" Helen sighed indulgently, stretching her arms out lazily. As her jacket moved, exposing her side, Jenny caught a glimpse of a gun in a holster, and her stomach seemed to disappear. "We haven't seen each other in so long, after all."

Jenny's gaze snapped back up from the now concealed gun to Helen's eyes, and she knew by the way the woman's smile broadened that she had seen the terror in her face.

"If what you've got to say is so important, why did you come to me?" Jenny asked, forcing her voice to remain steady. "Why didn't you go to Nick? Or Lester?"

"Because you have _that_ - " she pointed up to the ceiling " - upstairs."

"Ben?" Jenny said, bemused. "What's he got to do with it?"

"Nothing," she answered immediately. "It's more to the fact that him being here makes you a tad more receptive to hearing me out. I doubt Nick would listen to me without your cajoling, and Lester would be as likely to shoot me on sight than hear what I've got to say."

Jenny chuckled coldly. "Pity you didn't pay him a visit then."

"You know, that mouth of yours is going to get you into a lot of trouble one day," Helen said coolly.

Jenny folded her arms, and surveyed her for a moment, determined not to be intimidated by the implication of that comment.

"Why are you here Helen?" Jenny spoke eventually, ensuring that her tone was firm, making it quite clear that she wasn't to be drawn into casual conversation with the woman. "What do you want?"

Helen paused for a moment, as though considering something. Then, mind apparently made up, she turned, her sharp movement making Jenny jump slightly before she composed herself and watched as Helen retrieved a large black shoulder bag from the corner. She reached inside and pulled out what looked like a thick file, throwing it on the counter with a loud thud.

Jenny glanced down at it, her hands on her hips. "Is that supposed to mean anything to me?" she asked.

"It's the research I've been doing since the anomalies have stopped opening," Helen explained in a brusque tone.

"And what am I supposed to do with it?"

"Give it to Nick and Lester," she replied, sliding it across the table towards Jenny. "I know the ARC's still looking for me, and I have no intention of spending the rest of my days locked in some government volt. So you can be the carrier pigeon. I'm sure it'll make a fascinating read for them."

"I'm not doing anything for you," Jenny retorted, throwing her a dirty look.

"Think of it as more as a public service," Helen said cryptically. "You haven't got much time before it begins."

"Before what begins?" Jenny asked, feeling her stomach churn.

Helen looked as though she was about to reply, but a sudden hammering on the front door made them both start.

"JENNY!" Nick's muffled voice shouted.

Instinctually, Jenny made to sprint towards the door, but she had only moved a few paces when she felt herself being dragged back by her hair. It was a few seconds before she realised that something sharp was being pressed against her throat, and she gasped when she figured out what it was, her blood turning to ice.

The knife.

"Sssh!" Helen hissed in her ear, pulling Jenny back into herself. "If you make one sound, I won't hesitate to - "

"JENNY, OPEN THE BLOODY DOOR!" Nick bellowed again, still banging incessantly. "OPEN IT!"

Jenny screwed up her face as the blade was pressed closer to her neck, her desperation to get to Nick all-consuming.

"JENNY!" he yelled again.

"He's not going to go away!" Jenny gasped to Helen.

"I suppose your brat phoned him from upstairs?" she said, her voice sounding bitter. "Well I'll tell you something - if he steps one foot in here, your little boy's going to be a mummy short."

"You haven't got the guts!" Jenny spat, acting much braver than she felt.

"Do you really want to put that theory to the test?" she sneered, pulling back her hair more to expose her throat further.

Unexpectedly, the knocking on the door ceased, and everything fell silent.

"See," Helen cackled, loosening her grip on her ever so slightly. "He mustn't care that much about you if he's just given up so easily."

"Or maybe he's gone to call Lester to get a few trigger-happy soldiers down here?" Jenny suggested venomously, even though she thought it unlikely - but it wouldn't be like Nick to just leave . . .

"For your sake, I hope not," Helen whispered dangerously.

* * *

Panicking beyond belief, Cutter stepped back, surveying the thick door frantically, looking for a point of weakness. He knew Jenny was in there, but something was clearly stopping her from answering the door - or someone. Gearing himself up for the impact, he moved back further before taking a run at the door, kicking it with as much force as he could muster. Surprisingly, the door flew open and banged against the wall with a crash, and without hesitating, he sprinted inside, instinctually running straight to the kitchen.

The sight that greeted him made him freeze, paralysed with fright.

Jenny, dressed in a vest top and pajama shorts, was being held by Helen tightly. Helen had hold of Jenny's hair, pulling back her head onto her own shoulder, holding a large gleaming knife against Jenny's neck. From the way a thin line of red had appeared on Jenny's pale skin, the sharp weapon had already cut her slightly.

"Helen . . ." Cutter began in a trembling voice.

"Hello Nick," the woman said, her tone almost disgustingly amused. "It's been a long time. I see that you've been busy since I've been gone. Have you missed me?"

"Well, considering you're about to slit my wife's throat, I don't think so," Cutter replied, his eyes meeting Jenny's, trying to convey without words that everything was going to be okay.

"There'll be no slitting of any throats," Helen said, her cold eyes gleaming. "That is if you turn around and walk out of here now. Jenny and I were in the middle of a very stimulating conversation before you so rudely interrupted. And as I'm not in the mood to be detained by the government, I won't speak to anyone else about it."

"Nick, go and get Ben out of here," Jenny spoke, her voice much stronger than Cutter had anticipated.

"No, I'm not leaving you here," he argued immediately.

"Do it!" she said firmly, her eyes widening in a pleading gesture.

"If you don't Nick, I can't be held responsible for my actions," Helen interjected, and by the way Jenny winced, she had obviously pressed the knife closer to her neck.

"How can I?" he asked quietly, speaking to Jenny.

"Nick, if you love me, you'll get our son away from this psychopath!" she shouted, clearly losing her temper. "Just go! I'll be fine."

He hesitated, completely torn between getting his son to safety and rescuing Jenny.

"Nick, I swear to god, if you don't get him away from here, I'll come over there and beat you to death myself!" Jenny added, gritting her teeth against the obvious pressure of the knife.

She was right of course - the only way Helen was going to let go of her is if he left, and Jenny would obviously be calmed knowing that Ben was safe. Reluctantly, his heart aching, he slowly backed away towards the stairs, keeping his eyes fixed on them incase something happened.

When he was a reasonable distance away, he saw Helen drop the knife slightly away from Jenny. After that, everything happened so fast -

All he saw was Jenny fling her head backwards, butting Helen so hard in the nose that the woman staggered back, the knife falling from her hand as she clutched her face. Jenny cried out in pain too, her hand on her neck, blood seeping through her fingers - Helen had obviously cut her as a reflex. Jenny pulled her shaking hand away from her throat, and after she had seen the blood on it, she turned and launched at Helen. Both of them hit the floor hard, entwined, limbs flying everywhere as they fought.

As Cutter's shock abated, he rushed over to them in time to see Jenny punching her, the force of her fist sending Helen's head flying to the side. It soon became clear that Jenny had no intention of stopping, and Cutter found himself having little desire to pull her away, knowing that Helen deserved everything she got - but still, if Jenny wasn't careful, she was going to go too far. Mind made up, he flung his arms around Jenny's waist, and with difficulty, pulled her off Helen.

"You're going to kill her!" he barked as Jenny struggled in his arms to get back to Helen.

"Nick, she's got a gun!" Jenny cried, trying to prize his arms off her.

But Cutter didn't absorb her warning until it was too late, and in a flash, Helen was on her feet, her face bloodied, but a smile on her lips as she pointed a gun directly at them. Both Jenny and Cutter froze.

"Big mistake," Jenny breathed to him numbly, panting hard against his arms that were wrapped underneath her chest.

"Helen - don't do anything stupid," Cutter said in a strained voice as he slowly disengaged himself from Jenny and gently pushed her behind him.

"No, I think stupid would be defined as attacking an armed woman," she said, looking at Jenny smugly. "Especially since I was here to do you a favour."

"You held a knife to my neck!" Jenny yelled from behind him.

"And why would you want to do us a favour?" Cutter asked, forcing his voice to remain calm. "When have you ever cared about helping people?"

"I don't," she replied, her gun still held high. "But when you read what I've found out, you'll see why I had to pass my research on to you. The threats a little to serious to be shrugged off. And I know you're a little slow Nick, so you were bound not to know what's coming."

"What do you mean 'what's coming'?" Jenny demanded, her disdain for the woman evident in the iciness of her voice.

"Where do you think all the energy's gone Nick?" Helen asked, seemingly out of the blue. "The energy that's been causing the anomalies to open?"

"I - " Cutter stammered, slightly taken aback - it was a question that he'd been asking himself as well.

"Because that amount of energy can't just disappear," Helen continued, sounding like she was explaining why one plus one equals two to a toddler. "It can only be channeled into something else."

"I assumed it had been used up by past anomalies," Cutter answered uncertainly.

"Or," Helen sighed, rolling her eyes as though disappointed by his lack of knowledge. "The energy's been building up, ready for a cataclysmic event."

"I - I don't understand - "

"Of course you don't," Helen simpered, gesturing down to the research file. "But you will once you've read that - "

"Mummy . . ." Ben's voice interjected, sounding small and scared.

His stomach squirming uncomfortably, Cutter's head snapped around. His son was standing in the kitchen doorway, his eyes traveling over the scene in front of him. Immediately, Helen lowered the gun and held it down by her side, which Cutter couldn't help but feel a tad grateful for.

"We were just playing a little game," Helen said in a false sweet voice.

"Can - can I play?" Ben asked hopefully.

Cutter glanced around at Jenny, who had turned away from her son, her hand to her neck again, clearly trying to hide the fact that she was hurt.

"Another time perhaps," Helen smiled indulgently. "I've got to be going now Ben. But I promise, I'll come and visit you again soon."

Jenny chuckled coldly, although she held her tongue, obviously not wanting to tell her to go to hell in front of Ben.

Helen turned to Cutter as she slid her gun back into the holster. "Read it," she stated simply, placing her hand on the research file before giving him a curt nod.

With that, she turned and left.

Ben shuffled forwards into the room, beaming up at Cutter as though he was pleased to see him. However, when his eyes rested on Jenny, he frowned.

"Mummy, what's that?" he asked, pointing at her neck that she hadn't been able to conceal properly.

"I - I cut myself," she replied immediately, clutching her neck tighter.

"How?"

"I fell over," she lied, looking thoroughly ambushed.

"Hey Ben," Cutter interjected, crouching down so that he was eye-level with his son. "I've got to take care of mummy for a minute, because she was silly enough to cut herself," he sighed with a mock roll of his eyes. "Now will you do me a big favour and go and watch the telly?"

"No, I want him with me incase she comes back," Jenny interrupted sternly.

Cutter stood up and glanced around at her, flashing her a warning look. "You want him to watch as I clean up your blood?" he added to her in an undertone.

"I don't care Nick - I want him here," Jenny snapped, her voice quivering.

"She's not going to come back," Cutter whispered in a reassuring voice. "And he'll just be in the next room. I'll go and make sure everything's locked."

She bit her lip, looking like she was going to continue to argue, but eventually, she nodded slightly, her crimson-streaked hand still pressed against her bleeding neck.

* * *

Once Ben was settled and the house secured, Jenny reluctantly allowed Nick to sit her down as he fished around in the medicine cabinet.

"You know, you could have gotten yourself killed," he said sternly as he pulled out the antiseptic liquid.

"Well what was I supposed to do? Play along when I knew she had a gun on her?" Jenny snapped coldly, watching as he poured a copious amount of the antiseptic onto a flannel.

"No of course not, you were supposed to head butt her when she had a knife pressed against your neck," he answered sarcastically.

"I was panicking!" she protested hotly. "I couldn't think of anything else to do!"

"Hold still a minute," he said, tilting her chin upwards.

He pressed the sodden cloth against her cut, and she gasped, gritting her teeth as pain shot through her.

"Sorry," he sighed, his brow furrowed as he cleaned her wound. "Maybe I should take you to hospital?"

"No," she said immediately, gripping his arm as the singing sensation refused to leave. "I'm fine."

"You might need stitches?"

"It's not that deep," she pointed out, looking up into his concerned eyes. His face was incredibly close to hers, one of his hands holding the flannel, the other resting on the side of her face gently. His gaze was fixed on her neck, his eyes only traveling up to meet hers when she inhaled sharply again as a particularly nasty twinge emanated from the cut.

"Sorry," he breathed again, but she was hardly listening, so lost was she in the pools of those blue eyes.

It was only when he cleared his throat and looked away that she remembered herself and shuffled away from him, crossing her legs awkwardly. He reached for a bandage.

"Um, I'm not wearing one of them around my neck," she snorted.

"Oh, don't be so vain," he said airily, unraveling the white material. "Come here."

"No!" she scoffed, batting his hand away. "I need to have a shower anyway, and it'll just get wet."

"Well go and have a shower now then," he said, placing the roll of bandages down on the counter and resting his hand on her arm.

"Ben - " she began, about to say that she didn't want him out of her sight, but he interrupted before she could.

"I'll watch him," he soothed. "You just go and relax. I'll make him some breakfast."

She offered him a weak smile, and got down off the stool, accidently brushing against him as she did so, making a spark of electricity shoot through her.

"Nick?" she said, unable to stop herself.

He looked up at her questioningly.

"I - " she began, but she stopped, unsure of how to put it. Eventually, she decided to just come out with it. "Thank you," she said quietly, tucking her hair behind her ear. "For coming round here for us."

He nodded, looking slightly taken aback. "Of course."

She smiled again, and turned to leave.

* * *

Jenny felt a lot better after a shower, as though the water had washed away the all fear and panic. Well, maybe it was the shower - or maybe it was the fact that she knew Nick was downstairs; his presence offering her comfort and reassurance despite the fact that she was deeply rattled by Helen showing up. He hadn't made her feel this at ease since she had found out about Claudia. Before then of course, she always seen him as a calming presence in her life, as he always had the uncanny ability to make her feel safe without so much as speaking a word.

She wrapped her dressing gown around herself, and pressed a towel against her hair to dry it as she walked back down the stairs. As she suspected, she found Nick still in the kitchen, sitting on the stool, although she was slightly surprised to find him with his head buried in the research file Helen had left behind. As soon as she looked at him, she could tell that something was wrong.

"Nick?" she asked, approaching him slowly, her eyes serching his face. "What is it?"

He looked up at her, worry etched in every line of his expression. "We need to get everyone together at the ARC. Now," he said in an alarmed whisper.

"Why, what is it?" she repeated, uneasiness flooding her stomach.

He sighed, running his hand over his pale face. "This is bad, Jenny," he spoke in a tense voice, gesturing down at the file on his lap. "This is very _very_ bad."


	11. Doomsday

**Sorry, sorry, sorry! I was inbetween broadband providers and so I had to cold turkey from the internet for a week :( I promise to update more often from now on!**

**Hope you enjoy x**

Chapter 11

"Absolutely out of the question!" Lester yelled, his face flushed with indignance.

"If we do nothing about this, we're all dead!" Nick argued back, matching his rage.

"Listen to him James!" Jenny interjected, hands on her hips in her most imposing stance.

"You stay out of this!" Lester snapped, leaning back on his chair and surveying her from over his desk. "As far as I'm aware, you no longer work here."

"Well I'm back now," she retorted coldly. "Surprisingly, the approach of the apocalypse has made me re-think my career options."

"Oh lets not get dramatic about this," Lester scoffed, gesturing lazily down at the file Helen had given them. "We know the woman's a psychopath. She's probably lying about it all."

"I've read her research, and believe me, she's got sound scientific reasoning," Cutter pointed out, pacing back and forth with impatience. "I know she's a manipulative bitch, but that doesn't mean she's not right."

"And if she's not right?" Lester exclaimed hotly. "You want me to base the evacuation of London on the word of Helen Cutter?"

Jenny felt a pang of annoyance at his referral of the woman as 'Helen Cutter', and immediately, she despised herself for it. She had been perfectly aware of the situation before she and Nick had began dating, so she had no reason to feel irritated at the woman's last name. Still, now that she was the new soon-to-be ex Mrs Cutter, she couldn't help but feel a wave of disgust that Helen had indeed been right about one thing - they both did have something in common.

"Yes!" Nick snarled, slamming his hands down on the desk.

Lester was spared answering by the arrival of Connor and Sarah, who hurried into the office without knocking.

"What's going on?" Sarah demanded, looking from one angry face to another.

"We just got your message - " Connor began, speaking to Nick, but Lester cut him off.

"Oh, it's just Cutter and his Doomsday predictions again. Same old, same old. Are we done here?" he drawled, standing up and buttoning his blazer. "It's just that I have lunch reservations in ten minutes - "

"This is serious!" Nick barked at him before snatching the file up from the desk and thrusting it into Connor chest. "Read that will you, and tell him how important it is that we do something about it before it's too late."

"Why, what does it say?" Sarah asked, looking over Connor's shoulder at the research with a puzzled expression.

"It's that theory we've been toying with," Nick explained, his voice strained. "About where the energy that opened the anomalies is going. Helen's come up with a thesis about it, and it's a damn good one."

"What's Helen got to do with this?" Connor asked, his eyes skimming the pages.

"It's a long story," Jenny answered, exchanging a meaningful glance with Nick. She looked back at Connor. "Where's Abby?" she asked him.

"She was at the zoo - she's on her way," Connor replied in a distracted tone, his gaze still frantically searching the file.

"Can someone please just explain the short version of all this!" Sarah interjected, sounding irritated. "What do you mean 'Doomsday predictions'?"

Nick sighed deeply, looking older than Jenny had ever seen him.

"Basically, Helen's postulated that the energy has been building up since the anomalies first stopped," he began to explain for the third time that day. "And as a consequence, she's calculated that when the fault line next ruptures, hundreds of anomalies are going to open at once. Right here in London."

A hush descended over the room for a moment as they all, willingly or otherwise, contemplated the ramifications of that actually happening.

"How long have we got?" Sarah asked quietly.

"What, you're saying you actually believe all this rubbish?" Lester laughed coldly.

"Why wouldn't I?" Sarah snapped, narrowing her eyes. "Like it or not Lester, we get payed to do anomaly research. Why are you bothering to keep us on if you're not going to listen to anything we find out?"

"But that's precisely the point!" Lester burst out. "You lot didn't find anything out! This is all Helen's doing!"

Sarah folded her arms, clearly unwilling to back down. "I could march back there right now - " she pointed behind her in the general direction of the matrix room. " - and show you a dozen of our own research papers on the depletion of anomaly energy. Just because Helen beat us to the punch doesn't mean that we shouldn't take the threat seriously."

"You've all lost the plot," Lester stated, his finger and thumb on the bridge of his nose as though he couldn't take hearing any more of this. "It's all nonsense! The anomalies have stopped - they have for a year now. Helen's just trying to wind us up."

"So she'd waste a year of her life on research that's she's created just to bate us?" Jenny asked raising her eyebrow doubtfully.

"What part of 'the woman is unhinged' are you not understanding Jenny?" Lester snapped, perching on the edge of his desk. "We all know what she's capable of. Or do I have to remind you all what happened to Stephen?"

Nick opened him mouth to retort, looking furious, but Jenny set her hand on his arm to silence him. They couldn't afford to let this turn into a four way screaming match. They needed to move quickly and to do that, it was imperative that they got Lester on side.

"James, you know how unpredictable the anomalies are," Jenny said in a forced-even tone. "And you knew the likelihood of them reoccurring was high. And if two separate scientific teams are saying that this is a probability, then we need to take it seriously. Because if we don't, you'll be explaining to the rest of the world why Britain has been wiped out by thousands of prehistoric creatures. That is if you survive it yourself," she finished, looking at him sternly.

Lester hesitated for a moment, scowling into his hand. Everyone watched him silently, except for Connor who still had his nose buried in Helen's research. Eventually, he straightened up.

"How long have we got?" he asked quietly, echoing Sarah's unanswered question from before.

"Three days," Nick answered shortly.

"_Three days?" _Lester exclaimed, gapping around at them as though he was expecting them to shout 'April fools!' any moment. "How am I meant to organise the evacuation of an entire city in three days?"

"Very quickly I suggest," Nick muttered, before glancing around at Connor. "What do you think?" he added to him.

Connor closed the file, his face chalk white. "I think she's right. Blimey . . . this is - this is bad - "

"What do we do?" Lester interjected. "Hmm? There must be some way to stop this."

"We can't stop it," Connor replied numbly.

"But we might be able to counteract it," Nick interjected, looking at Connor meaningfully. "The Anomaly Locking Mechanism. If we could get it working, we might be able to close them."

"Yeah, but if - and only if - we can get it working . . . this isn't just one anomaly we're talking about. It's hundreds! It'd take forever to shut them all."

"Not necessarily," Nick began thoughtfully. "If these anomalies are appearing because of the same pent-up energy, maybe closing one of them will short-circuit the system and close them all."

Everyone looked at Connor for confirmation, knowing that he was the brain behind the physics of the anomalies. He looked back at them helplessly. "It's possible . . ." he shrugged. "I suppose it's worth a shot . . ."

"How soon can you get the Locking Mechanism working?" Jenny asked with trepidation, knowing that the boys unsure expression didn't bode well for them.

"I - I don't know," he stammered, looking thoroughly ambushed. "Blimey, if I would have known it would have been this important, I would have kept working on it even after the anomalies stopped - "

"How long Connor?" Nick interrupted firmly, obviously trying to steer him back to the conversation.

"I don't know," he repeated. "Maybe I could get it done in three days, at a push."

"Oh, try not to act so certain will you," Lester remarked, his words seeped in sarcasm. "It's only the fate of the nation at stake here!"

"He said he'll try his best," Jenny snapped at Lester defensively, aware that it wasn't fair for all the pressure to be put on Connor's shoulders.

"Well he's going to have to do better than that this time," Lester retorted, folding his arms.

"Excuse me, you only just started taking this seriously yourself about five seconds ago!" Jenny pointed out hotly, but Nick squeezed her arm slightly in warning, clearly not wanting her to agitate Lester now that he was allowing them to move forward.

Reluctantly, she fell silent.

After a tense pause in the discussion, Lester looked around at Connor and spoke in a less venomous tone. "I want you working on this twenty-four seven, if it's our only option."

Connor nodded immediately and looked down at the floor. It was only when Lester cleared his throat impatiently that he glanced up again. "What - now?" he asked quickly.

"Yes now!" Lester snapped in an aspirated tone.

"Alright, alright!" Connor huffed, backing out of the room. "Keep your hair on . . ." he could be heard muttering to himself before the door closed.

Lester turned to Sarah, who was watching the conversation whilst biting her thumb nervously.

"Go and help him," he sighed. "Make sure he doesn't get distracted by a bright light or something sparkly will you?"

Sarah scowled and rolled her eyes, but she left without a word, following Connor down the ramp and out of sight.

With a groan, Lester moved around his desk and sank into his chair again, pressing a button on his phone. "Lorraine, get me Captain Becker," he said shortly into the speaker.

"Of course Sir," the woman's voice answered immediately.

"What are you doing?" Nick asked, a puzzled expression on his face.

"You didn't seriously think I'm going to rest all hopes of our survival on someone who can barely tie his own shoe laces?" he simpered, making Jenny feel a jolt of annoyance. "It's time to talk military strategies incase we can't close the bloody things."

He did have a point, in Jenny's opinion.

With another sigh, he sat back in his chair, surveying both Nick and Jenny with a very curious look on his face. "Am I to assume that you two will be able to put your . . ._ personal issues_ aside until this is all over?"

"Yes," they both answered in unison, perhaps a little to quickly to be believable.

They exchange a fleeting glance with each other before looking away abruptly, Nick clearing his throat awkwardly.

"I see," Lester said, pressing his fingertips together and surveying them with a doubtful expression. "God help us."

* * *

The anomalies, as stipulated in Helen's research, were to appear together in Bloomsbury, the reason for which Jenny didn't ask - it was clear that the concept of 'in for a penny, in for a pound' was being used; namely, it was the silent agreement that if they were going to go along with the woman's predictions about the anomalies, they might as well believe the majority of the things in the file. There was no point in putting their faith in one theory, and then disputing another. Not that Jenny was very comfortable blindly following the insufferable woman's work, but she was not really in any position to comment seeing as she was a PR manager, not a scientist - any theory she had was rather redundant.

After the absentees had been fully briefed on what was happening, Abby, Sarah, Jenny, Nick and Becker found themselves hunched around Lester's desk, all pouring over a map, discussing strategies. Connor, of course, had practically been chained to the Locking Mechanism by Lester and was excluded from the meeting.

"So . . ." Lester sighed, a note of finality in his voice. "Becker and his team will take Tottenham Court Road. You two," he glanced up at Sarah and Abby, "will head a team around Euston Road. Jenny," he pointed at a spot on the map. "I want you manage a sniper team from a building on Gower street. That should ensure all the bases covered."

Nick didn't look at all pleased about Jenny's assignment, judging by his face. "And me?" he asked tensely.

"Your position will depend on if the Locking Mechanism is ready," Lester answered shortly. "If it is, then you and Connor will be at the corner of the coordinates, trying to close the nearest anomaly to you. If not, then you'll be helping the boy to get it finished."

_Oh he's not going to like this, _Jenny thought to herself, slightly amused as she glanced round at Nick's scandalized expression. And sure enough . . .

"I'm not staying in the ARC like a good boy scout whilst everyone else is out there risking their necks!" he exclaimed hotly.

"The Locking Mechanism is the most important part of the plan," Lester argued, straightening up and smoothing down his blazer. "Connor can't handle it by himself."

"Well why am I the one who has to sit out of everything?" Nick demanded, sounding like a petulant child. "Why can't Jenny stay with him?"

"Er, excuse me?" Jenny snapped indignantly, hands on her hips. "I'm military trained."

"So are all of us," Nick pointed out.

"Yes, but they, unlike you Cutter turned up to more than one training session," Lester pointed out coldly. "That aside, you are the only other person who has a clue about the science behind the anomalies. You'll stay with Connor and help him. No arguments."

"What about evacuation?" Abby interjected, cleverly cutting Nick off before he could retort.

"I'll get on to the Minister first thing tomorrow morning," Lester answered curtly, although his expression clearly conveyed his dread at the notion. "That'll give us forty-eight hours to clear the scene."

"Right then," Jenny said with a forced smile as she straightened up and moved towards the door. "I'll be back later - "

"Er, where do you think you're going?" Lester shouted after her, causing her to halt.

She turned, hand up against the glass door she was about to push open. "I'm going to make sure my son is out of London before the rush."

"No - I need you here," Lester ordered sternly.

"So what do you suggest? That I just leave him with his grandmother and hope for the best?" Jenny snapped icily.

"Can't you just make a call or something?" he asked. "We're not exactly swimming in time here - "

"No, I can't just make a call!" Jenny laughed humuorlessly.

"Well, you're going to have to, because you're needed here."

Jenny dropped her hand from the glass, looking at the man in disbelief. "Listen James, if you want me on board with all this, I'm making sure my son is well away from London first. Now you can either accept that and I'll see you in an hour, or refuse and I'll walk out of here right now and not come back. Your call," she finished coldly, looking at him expectantly.

"And I want to get my family out too," Abby interjected.

"And me," Sarah said quickly.

"Oh for the love of God, we're in the middle of a crisis situation here!" Lester exclaimed, before he sunk his forehead into his hand. "Fine!" he burst out eventually. "All of you get out of my sight before I change my mind! I want you all back here in an hour."

Without a word, they all turned and hurried out before he could revoke the dismissal, although when Jenny was at the door, she turned, noticing that Nick had stayed put.

"Are you coming?" she said to him in aspiration, holding the door open for Abby and Sarah to pass her.

"Aye, I'll meet you in the car," he replied, before turning back to Lester.

Scowling, Jenny left, letting the door shut behind her.

* * *

"What's the problem Cutter?" Lester asked, leaning back in his chair and not looking at him.

"Oh nothing - just the fact that you're sending the mother of my child out to battle without me there," Cutter said sarcastically.

"She signed up for this," Lester sighed, as though he found the whole conversation tedious. "She knows what she's doing. And she'll have a team of soldiers with her. She'll be quite safe."

"Why not send the soldiers alone?" Cutter persisted. "Why do you have to send her with them?"

"Apart from the fact that she's got excellent leadership skills, and the fact that she's a crack shot . . ." Lester began in an impatient tone. "We're short on numbers. We've only got a certain amount of soldiers who know about the anomalies and the creatures, so we need all the help we can get. I need her."

"But why can't you send me instead of her? Why can't you keep her here?"

Lester let out a small chuckle. "Have you two ever met before? Do you really think I could keep her back here whilst you lot are all in danger?"

"Yet you expect me to stay here knowing she's at risk?" Cutter gapped, feeling a pang of injustice.

"You're needed here, and she'd needed out there," he replied quietly. "That's just the way things are. Now you can either waste your time sulking about it to me, or you can go with your wife and ensure that your son is safe at the very least."

Cutter looked at the ceiling for a second, knowing he couldn't win this one. When he spoke, he ensured that it was in the most threatening tone he could muster.

"If anything happens to her . . . well, I just hope you can live with yourself."

He turned his heel and pushed open the glass door with unnecessary force, his anger at the civil servant too much to bare.


	12. The worrier

**I'm not really happy with this chapter, but I'm annoyed at myself that I haven't updated for a week, so I wanted to put two chapters up today. Ah well *shrugs* hope you like anyway. Thank you so much to all the people who have reviewed! x**

**

* * *

**

Chapter 12

"You took your bloody time," Jenny scoffed as Nick slid into the passenger seat with a deep sigh.

"Don't start," Nick snapped, taking her aback slightly.

"What's your problem?" she asked, perplexed at the sudden verbal aggression.

"Nothing," he stated in a cold tone as sank back into his seat. "I'm just not in the mood to be nagged. Where are we going first?"

Grumbling inwardly, but unable to summon the strength to argue further, she started the engine. "To pick up some of Ben's things first. And then to my mums," she answered, backing out of her car parking space.

"Great, as if I'm not in a bad enough mood as it is without having to deal with your mother again," he grumbled, pressing his fingers into his eyes.

Jenny ignored him, mainly because she didn't want to fight, but partly because he was right - she could do without having to speak to her mum as well. But Ben was there; they had dropped him off there earlier when they had headed for the ARC with a brief explanation about them being called into work urgently. And now Jenny needed to convince her mum to take Ben somewhere safe - somewhere far away from London.

"Maybe I could persuade her to get a flight over to Hong Kong with him . . ." she began thoughtfully, more to herself than to Nick.

"Why Hong Kong?"

"Because my farther's there on a business trip already," she replied. "And the further away they are from here, the better."

"True," Nick nodded, although he looked a little troubled by the idea. "But I don't think I want him flying anywhere to be honest."

"Why?"

"It's just that the anomalies are going to create a massive magnetic pull," he explained slowly. "And if it's strong enough, it might interfere with airplanes."

"Really?" Jenny gapped, looking round at him. "You think that's going to happen?"

"I didn't say it was going to happen, just that it's possible," he corrected her. "But do you really want to take that chance?"

"No," she conceded immediately. "So I'll just tell her to drive somewhere then?"

"It'd probably be safer," he replied, his gaze fixed out of the window. "Although how are you going to get her to agree to go without telling her why?"

"I'll think of something," Jenny answered, distracted as she made a sharp turn.

"I'm sure you will," Nick mumbled under his breath.

"Oh, will you stop with the catty comments please," Jenny snapped, losing her temper. "I haven't done anything wrong! You're just being pissy because this time, you don't get to play super-Cutter."

"Hmm, or maybe it's because you're behaving like the most selfish woman I've ever met," he bit back sarcastically.

That was it. Jenny jolted the wheel abruptly in one swift motion and turned the car into a deserted side road, slamming on the breaks so hard that Nick flew forward, banging his head on the dashboard.

"Christ!" he bellowed, straightening up and rubbing his forehead. "Are you trying to bloody kill me?"

"What do you mean I'm selfish?" she demanded, feeling herself grow hot with anger.

"I mean that you haven't even thought about what it would do to Ben if something happened to you when the anomalies open!" he shouted, his cheeks flushed red. "You haven't thought about what it would do to _me!_ You just agreed to go out into combat without so much as an ounce of consideration for us!"

"I'm doing what I have to do!" she yelled back. "I'm following orders - "

"And when have you ever been bothered about following orders?"

"Since I've learned that in a matter of days, we're going to be bombarded with anomalies and all manners of creatures! And I'm scared!" she admitted. "Alright? I'm scared that we won't be able to contain them, and I'm scared that something will happen to someone I love. And if I can do anything to stop it, I will. That's why I'm following orders. You should try it sometime."

He growled in frustration and sat back, rubbing his hands over his tired-looking face. When he had composed himself, he let his hands fall to his lap and he fixed her with sad eyes. "If anything ever happened to you - "

"It won't," she interrupted in a much softer tone, reaching forward and without thinking clearly, taking his hand in hers. "I can take care of myself."

"I'm not saying you can't," he pressed, squeezing her hand slightly. "But all it takes is one wrong move out there Jenny - one mistake and it's over."

"Nick, you're acting like I've never been out in the field before," she pointed out in disbelief. "I've done it for four years - "

"I know, but this time is different."

"And anyway, why is it just me who you're worried about?" she asked, slightly put out by his insinuation. "Aren't you worried about Abby and Sarah, or do you think they're more capable than I am?"

"Of course I'm worried about them, but neither of them are my wife," he retorted. "If something happened to you, I'd never forgive myself. And what am I meant to tell Ben when he's older? That I let his mother walk into an ambush of creatures and didn't lift a finger to help?"

She pulled her hand out of his, feeling incredibly confused - trust Nick to play the mum card to make her feel guilty. "Listen," she said, speaking to her lap. "I appreciate were this is all coming from. I really do. But you're not going to talk me into deserting everyone. I'm good at my job, I'm good with a gun . . ." she looked up at him, hitching a fake smile on her face, "and I'm amazing at staying alive. It's going to be fine, okay?"

He sighed and nodded, a resigned look on his face as he everted his gaze to his hands. Unable to think of anything else to say, she started up the car again, hoping that driving would be enough to distract her from the unexpected pain of his words. Yes, she did feel selfish; she was willingly putting her life at risk, and if something did happen to her, it would be Ben that would feel the pain of it. It was all so frustrating. A well known phrase came to mind as they drove in silence -

'_Damned if you do, and damned if you don't . . .'_

As they drove in silence, she chanced a half glance around at him, noticing how his face was furrowed in worry. He always worried about her too much. She wasn't naive enough to let it flatter her though, as he was the type of bloke who worried himself silly about everyone. It was just in his nature. God, she remembered what it was like when she was pregnant; he would barely let her move at the beginning. Towards the end, however, she remembered with a repressed smile that she was so difficult that even he couldn't deal with her.

x x x

_Jenny's due date passed her by, and there was still no sign of little no-name. At first, it didn't really bother her - surprisingly, she had enjoyed being pregnant, and as she was terrified of the bit to come, she could have happily have gone forever without going through the birth. However, as the days wore on, to her dismay she found her bump literally getting bigger by the day, as though the baby was taking some sort of growth supplement. She had never been more uncomfortable in her life, and that coupled with the fact that her hormones were everywhere made her very short tempered._

_Eight days after the due date, Jenny found herself sitting on her couch, unable to move with the bloody wait of the thing. The next thing she knew, Nick was back from the ARC, but he had brought Abby and Connor home with him . . . apparently, they'd wanted to see how she was getting along. Great. Just what she needed right now - to have to play the hostess._

"_Wow Jenny, you're enormous!" Connor stated happily as she struggled into an upright position, aware that she was being very rude staying slouched down when she had company._

"_Excuse me?" she snapped at him - from the corner of her eye, she could see Nick making frantic gestures to get Connor to stop talking, but he didn't seem to take the hint._

"_Yeah, you're like double the size since I last saw you!" he said excitedly, reaching forward and placing his hand on her bump - she heard Nick groan from beside her. "Are you sure you're not having twins?"_

"_Yes, I'm sure!" she fumed, batting his hand away. "And my belly's not public property you know. I mean, if I wasn't pregnant, you wouldn't just come up and put you hand on my stomach would you?"_

"_Um . . ." Connor stammered, looking ambushed. "No, I suppose not . . ."_

"_Jenny, why don't you sit back down?" Nick interjected, making apologetic eyes at Connor as he gently guided her back to the couch. "I'll get everyone a drink."_

"_Well, mines got to be water, because, oh yes, I'm pregnant!" she scowled, folding her arms over her bump. "God, I would kill for a cocktail right now!"_

"_Well you haven't got that long to go," Abby said sympathetically, sinking into the couch next to her. "It's got to be any day now, surely?"_

"_That's what I've been telling myself for the last two weeks," Jenny sighed, leaning her head back. "I just want to get it out!"_

"_Look on the bright side," Abby said, nudging her leg. "They say that late babies are more intelligent because their brain's had more time to develop."_

_Jenny snorted a laugh. "No way. An intelligent baby would know when it's time to come out, and this one hasn't got a clue," she said, gesturing down at the bump again._

_Nick came back in with drinks for everyone, and sat down on the other side of Jenny._

"_Are you alright?" he said to her, his voice full of concern as he tucked her hair behind her ear._

"_No Nick, I'm not alright," she snapped through gritted teeth. "I weigh about as much as an elephant, I can barely move, and I haven't seen my feet in weeks. When this thing finally comes out, you're never coming near me again. This is all your fault." _

"_How is it all his fault?" Connor asked, looking perplexed._

_Everyone shot him a disbelieving look, until he finally cottoned onto what she was talking about and blushed slightly, looking back down at the floor._

"_Do you want us to go?" Abby asked Jenny sheepishly. _

_Immediately, Jenny's heart melted. "No, of course I don't," she sighed truthfully. "I'm sorry, I'm just so fed up."_

"_Hm, wait until you're up every three hours feeding the baby - I bet then you'll be wishing he or she would have stayed in there," Abby pointed out with a smirk._

"_Are you trying to cheer me up?" Jenny asked sarcastically, although she smiled._

"_Oh, you're nice to her?" Nick joked. _

"_She didn't impregnate me," Jenny pointed out, taking a sip of her water as Abby laughed loudly next to her._

"_I don't think she could have done even if she'd wanted to," Connor chortled. "Unless I'm missing out on a major secret - "_

_He was cut off by Abby throwing a cushion at him that hit him square in the face._

_Laughing, Jenny struggled to her feet - it was typical that as soon as she got comfortable, she needed the toilet._

"_You okay?" Nick asked immediately, showing his usual concern every time she moved._

"_Yes, it's just that the baby thinks of my bladder as a bloody punch bag," she sighed, trying to straighten out her painful back as she walked. "I'll be back in a . . ."_

_Then, out of nowhere, she found herself feeling incredibly spaced out. She staggered, her head feeling like it was floating away from her. Immediately, everyone was on their feet and arms were steadying her gently._

"_Jenny?" Nick's concerned face was in front of her. "What is it? Is it the baby?"_

"_Something . . . something's wrong . . ." she managed to murmur before darkness enveloped her and she collapsed. _

x x x

Jenny shuddered at the memory. Of course, she couldn't remember anything after that until she regained consciousness at the hospital, but from what she was told, Nick had caught her before she hit the floor and a shaking Connor had phoned an ambulance. Her blood pressure had crept too high apparently, because of the strain of the pregnancy, and she was induced not long afterwards to minimise the risk to both her and the baby. Nick was beside her every single second, looking panicked that she was in so much pain. Funny really, when Jenny thought about it. There he was tearing himself up over how much pain she was in, and little did he know that three years later, he'd be causing her more pain than she'd ever experience in her life. Emotionally, of course, not physically. Yet she knew without a shadow of a doubt that she'd rather go through another dozen labours than feel the hurt of finding out about Claudia again.

"You alright?" Nick's voice cut into her thoughts; he had obviously noticed the distant look in her eye.

"Yes," she replied automatically. "I was just . . . thinking . . ."

"About what?" he asked curiously.

"Just . . ." she began, wishing she hadn't started the conversation. "Just . . . about what would have happened if things had turned out differently."

"Like us you mean?" he probed, leaning forward a fraction as though he was deeply interested in what she had to say.

"Hmm," she replied, keeping her eyes on the road. "Like if I wouldn't have found that picture."

"I wonder than every night," he informed her.

"You do?" she looked round at him, surprised.

"Of course."

"Do you - do you think we'd still be happy?" she questioned, unsure as to why she was asking him; it's not like his answer would change anything.

"I have no doubt," he said with a sigh. "But I've thought about it a lot, and in a way, I'm glad you found out about Claudia."

"What?" she gasped in disbelief, thinking she was hearing wrong. "Why?"

"Because I'm hoping that one day I'll be able to prove to you how much you mean to me," he said quietly, his eyes staring ahead determinedly. "And that you'll be able to accept the fact that I love you for you, and not because of Claudia. And then we'd be able to move on with everything out in the open."

"And if I can't?"

"Even if I have to wait around until we're both old and grey for you realise it, I'm not going anywhere," he replied, glancing around at her. "You're the only woman for me."

"That exists at the moment," she retorted, probably more cruelly than was necessary. "Tell me though Nick, if by some miracle Claudia walked out of an anomaly in three days time, what would you do?"

His face fell into a look of shock at her words. "That's not possible," he stammered after a slight pause.

"Say if it was," she pushed, wanting to know the answer. "Say if she did come back. Would you get back together with her?"

He laughed in disbelief. "So you're suggesting that I'd leave my wife and son for a woman that I've never even dated?"

"Just answer the question Nick - "

"No, of course I wouldn't!" he exploded. "For the millionth time, I love you now!"

"Oh look, we're home," she said curtly as she pulled up outside her house gratefully. But as she undid her seatbelt, his hand grabbed her arm to stop her from leaving.

"Can we just finish the conversation - " he began.

"No," she answered immediately. "Lester only gave us an hour; we're going to be late as it is."

"We'll take as long as we take."

Jenny sighed and rubbed her hand on her temple, feeling the beginnings of a migraine. "Look," she said in a gentler voice than before. "Lets just get the next few days over with, okay? And then after that . . . we can talk and try and see if we can sort something out."

He reclined back in his seat and surveyed her for a moment through narrowed eyes. "Do you actually mean that, or are you just saying it so that I stop talking?"

In spite of herself, she smiled. "No, that's just an added benefit."

He chuckled slightly, before nodding, looking slightly cheered. "Okay."

* * *

**I'm so in two minds about how I want to take this story now! I've got two plot lines floating around in the deepest recesses of my brain, but I can't for the life of me decide which one to go for. One of them's a bit happier and is what I was intending to write from the beginning, and the other is a storyline that has been niggling at me for a few days. It's much darker and more sinister, and usually I'd go for the darker one, but it means the introduction of a new character, which is always a risk in fandom. **

**Arg, I can't make up my mind!**

**If you can be any help with helping me decide, please let me know lol x **


	13. Leaving him behind

**Ah, I'm still not 100% sure which route to take, but I think I'm going to take the advice of CakeyxClickx and explore the dark storyline. I might as well, because this particular plot will only work with this story. Hope I've made the right choice :S **

**Enjoy x**

* * *

Chapter 13

A short while later, Jenny pulled into her parent's perfectly pristine driveway, her stomach twisting uncomfortably at the thought of what she had to do next. She hated to admit it, but her mother was similar to herself in many respects, and she doubted very much that the woman would pack up her things and leave London with just a feeble excuse as reasoning. She would ask a ton of questions, just as Jenny would if the roles were reversed, and so she doubted whether she'd be able to pull this all off without telling her some sliver of truth.

With a sigh, she turned to Nick. "Do you want to stay in the car again?" she asked, noticing him surveying the house with a less-than-warm expression.

"No, I'll come in with you this time," he replied quietly, pushing the door open.

"Your funeral," she said rather flippantly as she got out herself; Nick and her mother had never gotten on particularly well.

Jenny rang the door bell and stood back beside Nick, fiddling with the sleeve of her blouse nervously. Something about this didn't feel right . . . sending her son away without her. She knew they were doing it to keep him out of harms way, but still . . . it felt like she was abandoning him.

"Are you sure we're doing the right thing?" she whispered to Nick, half-glancing around at him.

"We're doing what we have to," he answered bluntly.

Before she could reply, the door opened in front of them and her mum appeared, looking thoroughly harassed.

"You said you'd only be a couple of hours Jennifer," she snapped immediately before Jenny could so much as greet her. "He's been asking for you over and over again - " she stopped abruptly, her eyes falling on Nick. She surveyed coldly for a few moments before she cleared her throat. "Nicholas," she said curtly, inclining her head slightly.

"Felicity," he nodded back, his tone icy.

"Well now that the formalities are out of the way - " Jenny interjected, but her mother suddenly let out a small gasp.

"Jennifer, what on earth's happened to your neck?" she exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock.

"Oh, um . . ." Jenny stammered, instinctively clapping her hand over her cut and inwardly cursing herself for leaving the scarf she had previously donned in the car.

"You look like you've been sliced!" her mother continued, sounding aghast.

"It's just a cut mum, it's nothing," Jenny replied in the airiest tone she could. "Can we just come in for a minute? We need to talk."

Her mum looked between the two of them suspiciously before reluctantly stepping aside to allow them to pass her. She closed the door behind them and turned, her face furrowed with concern.

"What is it?" she demanded immediately, her eyes studying Jenny's face.

However, before Jenny could think of what to say to possibly explain things, Ben appeared at the top of the gigantic staircase.

"Mummy! Daddy!" he exclaimed happily, sprinting down the stairs as fast as his little legs would allow.

"Benjamin, don't run!" Jenny's mum snapped at him, but he didn't listen.

When he reached the bottom step, he flung himself into Jenny's arms and hugged her tight. "You been gone ages!"

"I'm sorry sweetheart, your dad and I had some things to sort out," Jenny replied into his hair as she hugged him back, a lump rising in her throat.

"What?" he asked, his voice muffled against her chest.

"Nothing for you to worry about," she replied, giving him a quick kiss on the head before she passed him over to Nick. "I just need to speak to your grandmother for a minute. Alone," she added to Nick, who nodded slightly.

"Come on son, come and play in the garden with me," he said to Ben in a false cheery voice as he carried him back out of the front door.

"But I want to stay with mummy!" Ben's voice could be heard saying - maybe he could sense that something wasn't right, and so he was being particularly clingy to Jenny.

"Mummy's just going to be in there . . ." Nick answered gently, before they went out of ear shot.

"Jennifer - what is going on?" her mother pushed, frowning.

Jenny took a deep breath, forcing herself to look up into those cold brown eyes as she spoke. "Right," she began carefully, her brain running overtime to try and think of something she could possibly say to explain things. "This is going to sound insane. But I need you to just hear me out, okay?"

Her mother nodded, looking impatient.

"I - I need you to get Ben out of London," Jenny blurted out.

"What?" she gapped.

"I need you to pack some things up and take him," Jenny repeated. "I want you to drive as far north as you can - "

"Wait a minute," her mum interrupted, holding up her hand to silence her. "What are you babbling about? Why do we need to leave?"

Jenny hesitated for a moment. "You know that I used to work for a secret government facility, don't you?"

"Yes, but I thought you left there a year ago - "

"I did, but something's happened," Jenny replied, trying to gage how much to say. "We were all recalled."

"But - "

"Just listen," Jenny said firmly, lowering her voice incase Ben could hear. "Something . . . something's going to happen in a few days. Something that I don't know if we can stop. And I want Ben - I want you _and_ Ben to get as far away from here as you can. The city's being evacuated tomorrow, but I want you to be long gone by then - "

"What's going to happen?" she demanded, asking the question Jenny was hoping she wouldn't.

"I can't say," Jenny replied apologetically. "But it could be really bad mum, and I've got to stay and try and help. But I can't do that if I don't know that Ben's safe."

"Is it terrorists?" her mum questioned in a hushed voice.

"In - in a way . . ." Jenny lied.

"And you just expect me to leave here now knowing that you're going to be risking your life?"

"You have to mum," Jenny said in a strained voice. "Because if you stay here, you and Ben are in grave danger. Do you understand what I'm saying to you?"

Her mother fell silent for a moment, her stern expression not quite masking the fear behind her eyes. "Yes," she spoke eventually. "But what about everyone else - "

"They're being evacuated tomorrow," Jenny repeated patiently. "And you mustn't say anything before then or it'll cause a panic - "

"Chris - " she began, obviously worried about Jenny's brother.

"You can go and get him, but no one else," she said firmly. "Drive to his now, and tell him - tell him whatever you have to to get him in the car."

"And after that? Where should we go?"

"Just keep driving North," Jenny answered. "Go as far as you can tonight and then stay in a hotel and continue again first thing tomorrow."

"But - "

"Mother," Jenny snapped. "There is no 'buts' here. You have to do it, because if you don't, there's a high likelihood that you'll all be killed."

* * *

Jenny helped her mum pack some things together quickly and load them into the car, and then she ran and retrieved Ben's things from the boot of her own vehicle.

"Are you sure this is all necessary?" her mother demanded, as Jenny flung the bags hap-hazardly in the back seat.

"If I didn't think it was necessary, I wouldn't be asking you to go," Jenny snapped.

"So you're certain that your organisations information is accurate?" she pushed as she fixed Ben's booster seat. "It's not just based on some lunatic's theory?"

"Do you really want to take that chance with your grandson's life?" Jenny bit back, her words prodding at the sensitive issue that yes - that's indeed what they were doing in following Helen's research.

Her mother fell silent, biting her lip as she watched Jenny stuff another bag into the already overflowing boot.

"Come with us," she said as Jenny straightened up.

"What?"

"Come with us," she repeated more forcefully, her eyes pleading.

"I can't," Jenny replied immediately, everting her gaze from her mum's face. "I'm needed here."

"Jennifer, I can't go without knowing you're safe too - "

"I'll be fine," Jenny replied, not knowing if she was speaking the truth or not. "But I have to stay and help Nick and the others."

"I'm sure Nicholas wants you to leave as well - "

"Well it's not his decision," Jenny snapped, feeling her blood pressure creep up. "I've got a duty to help stop this thing - "

"You have a duty to your son!" her mother argued, approaching her slowly. "How can you call yourself a good mother when you're not the one getting him to safety."

"I'm doing this to protect my son!" Jenny retorted hotly, feeling stung by her words. "And anyway, lets not pretend that you were the doting mother yourself - "

Nick cleared him throat as he approached with Ben in his arms, forcing Jenny into silence.

"We all set?" he asked as he reached them.

"Yes," Jenny replied immediately, holding out her hands to Ben. "Just discussing a few last minute details."

Nick squeezed Ben slightly and planted a kiss on his head before handing him over.

"Where are we going mummy?" Ben asked as she scooped him into her arms, looking at her questioningly with his big blue eyes.

Feeling a horrible burning sensation of guilt, she cupped the side of his face and ensured that she was smiling. "Well, you are going to go with your grandmother. You're going to go on a little adventure with her, does that sound like fun?"

"But I wanna stay with you," he said, clinging to her tighter. He must have know by the atmosphere that something was very wrong.

"You can't darling," she said softly, hating herself. "Your dad and I have some work to do. But you're going to go on a fun little trip with your nan and uncle Chris."

"Please let me stay with you," he begged, his little voice breaking. "I promise I'll be good - "

Jenny's chest convulsed and she squeezed her eyes shut as she pulled him closer and kissed his forehead. Then, she turned handed him over to her mother in one swift motion.

"Just . . . just take him," she said, her voice cracking as she tried to hold back the tears.

She made to turn away, but her mother grabbed her wrist to stop her.

"Jennifer . . ." she began, but she stopped, her expression looking pained. "Be careful," she breathed eventually.

Jenny nodded, and pulled her hand out of her mothers, turning and walking back to the car where Nick was waiting for her.

"Mummy!" Ben shouted after her, his voice sounding sad and desperate. "Mummy, please take me with you!"

Jenny put her hand to her mouth to contain a sob as his words cut into her like a knife. But she kept walking until she had reached the car. Forcing herself not to look around, she slid into the passengers seat.

"Jenny - " Nick began, his voice laced with sympathy and support.

"Don't Nick - just drive," she cut him off, looking down at her hands on her lap, knowing that if she was forced to talk about it, she'd break down.


	14. The intruders

Chapter 14

Abby lay with her head propped up on her hands staring up at the ceiling, the hard ARC floor so uncomfortable that she wouldn't have been able to get to sleep even if she'd wanted to. It was about two hours ago when Sarah had actually fell asleep with her head in her folded arms on the desk, prompting Lester to begrudgingly dismiss them to get a few hours shut eye before resuming their planning. Even Connor had been allowed to get some rest. He, Becker and Cutter were meant to be sharing the only other spare room in the place, but knowing the Professor, he would probably sleep in his office rather than having to be subjected to Connor mumbling in his sleep. A smart move, in Abby's opinion. She herself had insisted on sleeping in a sleeping bag on the floor rather than in the double bed. Aside from the fact that she was slightly younger than the other two women, she was always the most adaptable one, and didn't really mind going without the luxury of a mattress. So she had let Jenny and Sarah take the bed, and they had reluctantly agreed.

Try as she might, Abby couldn't get sleep to come, and judging by the lack of rhythmical breathing coming from an unmoving Jenny, she wasn't the only one awake. Sarah had been exhausted of course, and was sleeping soundly, although how, Abby had no idea. Her mind was too busy buzzing with all the plans they'd made and the maps they had poured over to allow her a few hours reprieve, and her stomach kept twisting uncomfortably at the thought of what was to come. Questions kept floating into her consciousness - what if Helen's predictions about the locations of the anomalies were wrong? What if the Anomaly Locking Mechanism didn't work? What if they couldn't stop the creatures?

Jenny sniffed quietly from above her and turned over onto her side. She had barley said a word since her and a solemn-looking Cutter had returned from seeing Ben off, and Abby wasn't a fool as to why. It's only natural that she would feel guilty about having to send her son away and not being able to go with him, and the fact that she knew she was doing the right thing wouldn't be unlikely to bring her much comfort.

Almost as though she could sense that Abby was thinking about her, Jenny suddenly sat up in her bed. She obviously thought everyone else was asleep. Abby could see her silhouette and watched silently as she buried her head in her hands with a deep sigh and then ran her fingers back through her hair. Abby fought the overwhelming instinct to ask her if she was okay as she was certain that Jenny would be embarrassed to know that someone had noticed that she was upset. After a couple of moments, she got out of the bed and crept out of the room, quietly closing the door shut behind her.

Bemused, Abby sat up herself as Sarah turned over onto her side with a groan - she had obviously only been in a light sleep and had woken at the slight movement of the mattress. Abby shuffled out of her sleeping bag and crawled onto the bed beside her.

"Where do you reckon she's gone?" she whispered to Sarah.

"I don't know," Sarah mumbled sleepily. "Probably the toilet."

"But we've got an en-suite," Abby pointed out, gesturing towards the door at the far side of the room.

Sarah sighed and sat up herself, pushing the hair out of her face. "Well then she's probably gone to be with Cutter."

* * *

Cutter had lain down on a duvet on the floor of his office, preferring to try and sleep in there than having to share a room with Becker and Connor. He didn't relish the idea of sharing a room with anyone, preferring his own company rather than others, the exception of course being Jenny.

With a scowl, he reached up and ran his hands over his face as though it would wipe away the pain of today. It had been horrible, having to send Ben away, but at least it was a small comfort to know that he was away from all the danger. No, what had been worst part was the hurt look on Jenny's face when they had left him with her mother . . . she had looked so broken. It had been heart-wrenching to watch, but he was proud of how strong she was being, even though he wished she'd trust him enough to talk to him about it.

God, how much he wished things could go back to the way things used to be. He couldn't believe he had ever taken for granted how amazing it was to wake up beside his wife; how he used to be able to hug and kiss her whenever he wanted. And he had also taken for granted living with his son, watching him grow and develop more and more with each passing day. Even if they did all get through these next few days, he was still going to miss out on everything. He would do anything to go back, even if it was just for one day. And he knew which day it would be. Nothing particularly special had happened, but it was just one of those days that was supremely and utterly perfect.

x x x

_Cutter let himself into his house one hot day in the middle of summer and was slightly taken aback when loud dance music greeted him, seemingly coming from the living room. Puzzled, he threw his keys on the side table and took off to investigate further. The sight that greeted him when he rounded the corner made him have to stifle a laugh._

_Jenny, Abby and Ben were all standing in line formation facing the large flat screen television, their fists raised in a boxing stance, shifting their weight back and forth in time to the music. Ben was dressed in his little tracksuit, and his expression was very serious as he concentrated on mimicking the group of dancers on the screen. Jenny and Abby were wearing sports bras with tracksuit bottoms. _

"_You're killing me here Abby!" Jenny gasped, sounding out of breath._

"_Me too!" Ben squeaked from inbetween them._

"_Suck it up people!" Abby shouted, sounding energised._

"_You suck it up!" Jenny snapped._

"_Come on, keep going, pain is gain! Just one more move to learn."_

"_I've got a stitch," Jenny informed her, wincing slightly. _

"_You won't be complaining when you walk into your next interview looking hot!" Abby pointed out back._

"_She always looks hot," Cutter interjected with a smile._

_Jenny and Abby both wheeled round with a yelp of surprise, before Abby reached for the remote and paused it whilst Jenny doubled over, hands on her knees, breathing hard._

"_Having fun?" Cutter asked in a mock-surprised voice._

"_Yes!" Ben answered, playfully punching Cutter's legs._

"_No, it's like working out with Hitler!" Jenny panted, gesturing over to Abby._

"_What sort of workout was that?" Cutter asked, amused._

"_Boxercise," Abby replied as though it was obvious, reaching for her tracksuit jacket and pulling it on. "It's a great way to get back in shape."_

"_Excuse me, I'm in fine shape thank you very much," Jenny scoffed as she straightened up._

"_So this is what you do when I'm at work all day?" Cutter questioned in a joking manner._

"_I'll have you know, I've got a job interview next week," Jenny smiled. "Hence the workout."_

"_You don't need a DVD to work out," Cutter pointed out with a smile._

"_Ew, don't be disgusting!" Abby shrieked, looking aghast as Jenny laughed. "On that note, I think I'll get going and leave you two to it."_

"_Aw," Ben said, sounding disappointed. _

"_I'll be back tomorrow for another work out little man," Abby said to him, ruffling his hair._

"_Oh great," Jenny muttered under her breath._

"_What was that?" Abby asked her._

"_Can't wait," Jenny said with a blatantly obvious fake smile._

_Abby scowled playfully and smacked her on the arm lightly before giving Cutter and Ben a cheery wave and padding off down the hall._

"_You look beautiful," Cutter added to Jenny, allowing his eyes to travel down to her stomach as he pulled her into him._

"_Don't touch me - I'm all sweaty," she protested._

"_Is that supposed to discourage me?" he grinned._

"_Eww! Don't kiss!" Ben exclaimed, shaking his head._

_Cutter hesitated for a second, before reaching over and covering his son's eyes, taking his chance to pull Jenny's lips onto his briefly. _

"_Better?" he asked Ben when all was clear._

"_Yes," his son said, folding his arms. "Why do you two always kiss?"_

_Jenny laughed slightly. "I think I'll leave that one with you daddy," she smirked, patting Cutter on the chest before turning to fiddle with the telly to get it back on tv._

"_Because Benjamin Cutter, I am the luckiest man in the world to have bagged such a beautiful woman," he said with a sign. "So I can't help myself."_

"_Don't tell him that!" Jenny chided, wacking Cutter in the arm with the remote control._

_He turned and grabbed her around the waist, threw her on the floor lightly and started tickling her stomach so that she screamed loudly._

"_Get her Ben!" Cutter yelled._

"_No, Ben help me! Get daddy!" Jenny played along between her gasps as her hands frantically tried to block Cutter's tickling._

_Immediately, Ben jumped on Cutter's back and threw his little arms around his neck. "Get off my mummy!" he shouted in an overexcited tone._

"_Oh, you're too strong for me," Cutter joked in a pretend faint voice. "I - I can't fight you . . ." he rolled off onto his back and closed his eyes, pretending to be dead._

"_I won!" Ben cheered, raising his hands in celebration and jumping on Cutter's stomach painfully._

"_My hero," Jenny said, pulling Ben into a hug. _

_He hugged her back, a big smile on his cute face. "Can I go play in da garden?"_

"_For a little bit," Jenny replied, her tone implying that she didn't really want him to. "It'll be cold soon."_

_Immediately, the little patter of feet could be heard running out the room as he headed for the back door. Once the door shut, Cutter opened his eyes and looked around at Jenny, who was watching him with a smile._

"_You look great dead," she said in a matter-of-fact voice as she heaved herself up and sat on top of him, her knees either side of his waist._

"_Well that's good to know," he sighed, resting his hands on her hips. "Where's your interview?"_

"_It's for a pharmaceutical company called AstraZeneca," she informed him._

"_And why, may I ask, are you working out more before it?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "What sort of things are you planning to do to get the job?"_

"_Wouldn't you like to know," she smirked._

_He smiled back and sat up, pulling her into another kiss. She allowed it until he slid his hands behind her back, pulling her closer, and she pulled away and staggered to her feet._

"_Where are you going?" he asked in disappointment._

"_To get a shower," she said._

"_Great, lets go," he smiled, getting to his feet himself._

"_Er - not you," she laughed in disbelief as she moved ."You can go and check on the lasagne in the oven."_

"_What, you mean you actually cooked?" he gapped._

"_Yes!" she exclaimed hotly._

"_From scratch? Because we can always fast or something - "_

"_This is the last time I feed you then," she scoffed as she walked towards the kitchen._

"_Can I have that in writing please?" he joked, following her._

"_One more word out of you, and you're sleeping on the couch tonight."_

"_Oh I don't think you'll do that to me," he smiled._

_She narrowed her eyes and threw a tea towel at him. "Lasagne. Now."_

x x x

It hurt to think how a simple family moment like that was now no longer a possibility. The play fights, the banter, the happiness . . . it was all a distant painful memory. He'd still see Ben as often as he could of course, but it wasn't the same. She wouldn't be there. At the time, he had had no idea that how important all the intimacy was to him, but now that he was looking at a life filled with loneliness and bitter regrets, he knew that those little moments were the best of his life.

Unexpectedly, the door to his office creaked open, cutting into his thoughts, and dull light from the ARC corridor spilled in, casing a thick line across the polished floor. He glanced around without getting up, and to his complete surprise, Jenny was standing there, dressed in her night clothes. His heart palpitated as he watched her hesitate by the door, as if unsure of whether to come in or not.

After all these years, she still took his breath away.

Mind apparently made up, she padded inside and spotted him, lying on his back on the sheet behind his desk. Silently, she dropped to her knees and lay down next to him, and without question, he opened up his arm to allow her to rest her head against his chest. She curled her bare legs up so that they brushed against his side, sending shivers down his spine.

There were no words uttered, no comforting gestures offered, and no love-making. She obviously just needed him close to be a solid reassurance to her.

He let her settle down for a few moments before daringly reaching up and stroking her hair slightly, hoping that she wouldn't chide him for it. Instead, however, she buried her head deeper into his shirt and he was taken aback when he felt dampness there not long after.

"Jenny?" he asked, pulling away slightly to see her properly.

Her face was screwed up and her cheeks were wet with silent tears. He reached down and brushed his thumb under her eye gently.

"What is it?" he asked, knowing exactly what was on her mind, but needing to ask anyway to try and get her to talk.

She sniffed and pressed her lips together slightly. "I - " she began, her voice so small that her words were barely inaudible. "I - I sent my baby away," she finished with a sob.

With a sympathetic sigh, he pulled her into him more and wrapped his arms around her back.

"We did what we thought was best," he said quietly, resting his chin on top of her head.

"Best for who?" she retorted.

"Best for him," he replied patiently, although he knew exactly how she was feeling, as he was going through the exact same thing. He felt like a failure as a parent having to push his son off with his nan to keep him safe. It was their job to protect him, and they had passed the burden onto someone else. And it felt horrible.

"We could have brought him here," she said in a cracked voice.

"He's better off far away from here, and away from us," he replied, pressing his lips against the cool skin of her forehead.

"Then why do I feel so awful?" she croaked.

He reached out and took her hand, entwining his fingers in hers. "Because you are a wonderful mother who worries too much."

She made a disbelieving noise in her throat, but remained silent, not making any effort to regain any distance between the two of them. After a few moments, he risked planting a kiss in her tousled hair. She looked up at him, her brown eyes still bright even in the semi-darkness of the room, her lips incredibly close to his. Instinct seemed to take over as he slowly, cautiously leaned in further, his heart hammering wildly. He felt the faint brush of her soft lips . . .

The shrill sound of the anomaly detector filled the room, making them jump apart violently and freeze for a moment in shock - no one had heard that noise in over a year.

When the numbness wore off, they both scrambled to their feet and took off down to the main room without a word.

* * *

Seven men and one woman stepped through the anomaly they had just produced, feeling the same drizzle of rain on their faces as they had done in the world they had just left. Their leader was a man in his mid-twenties, tall and built, with dark brown hair that complemented his tanned skin. He was by no means the oldest of the group; in fact it was quite the opposite. But the way he carried himself left no one in any doubt that he was in charge. His cool eyes surveyed their new surroundings with distaste.

"So this is what London used to look like boss?" the woman said to him, her voice dripping with cold amusement.

"Yes," the leader replied in his usual icy tone, taking a few strides forward in the deserted alley way and peering down the pitch-black road.

"It's still a shit hole," another man pointed out with a bark-like laugh.

"Hmm," their leader replied, distracted as he eyes flew up and down the road as though he expected to see something. "But it's a liveable shit hole, unlike ours." He paused for a moment, looking as though he was straining his ears to hear something, before turning to his second-in-command. "Go and set up the base," he ordered in a voice so commanding that it would make the hairs on the back of the neck stand on end.

"What about you sir?" the second-in-command asked.

"The ARC will have picked up on the anomaly," he replied in an unconcerned tone. "I'm going to stay and find out how much they know about day zero."

"They won't let you skip off once they've got you," the woman pointed out. "You know that."

"I'm counting on it," he replied, loading his main gun with one swift motion before glancing back at his number two. "I gave you an order soldier."

"Sir," the man nodded, before gesturing to his fellows to follow him.

All the men trotted off after him, but the only woman remained behind, raising a skeptical eyebrow at the leader.

"What is it Kathryn?" he asked in a bored, distracted voice.

"I know what you're doing," she said to him, tucking her wavy blonde hair behind her ear.

"Do you now?"

"Yes," she nodded, fixing him with a stern look. "And you know that you can't. If anyone finds out, you're done for. We've got a mission to do here - "

"I'm well aware of our mission," he replied coldly. "I'm not going to compromise it."

"Are you sure about that?" she pushed.

He turned his steely gaze to her and before she could so much as draw a breath, he flew forward and pinned her against the wall with his hand around her throat.

"You listen, and listen good because I'm only going to say this once," he yelled right into her pretty face, his emotional detachment melting away into anger. "Just because I've let you share my bed doesn't give you any right to question my motives."

"You're - you're hurting me!" she spluttered, her eyes widen and fearful.

"What I told you was in the strictest confidence," he continued in a dangerous whisper. "And if you so much as breath a word about it to anyone, I won't hesitate to put one of these bullets in your over-fluffed head. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes!" she cried, her eyes watering.

He pulled his hand away from her, and she gasped with relief, rubbing her neck.

"Now get out of my sight," he spat, turning away from her.

"Sir," she seeped venomously, bowing in a mocking manner before taking off after the rest of the men.

Once she had left, the leader leaned casually up against the wall of the alley, allowing his gaze to be lost in the flickering anomaly light.

_Bloody women, _he thought to himself bitterly. _More trouble than their worth._

He knew it wouldn't be long before some of the ARC cronies arrived. They wouldn't send anyone important of course - their boss would be too afraid of anything unfortunate happening to his main guys before the big battle. It's be two or so soldiers he'd send. It shouldn't be too hard to trick the morons into taking him back to the ARC.

With a sigh, he glanced down at the gun clasped in his hand. He'd be forced to give this one up of course, but it was of no matter - he had a miniature one tucked away, the perfect size to conceal until it was needed. As he waited and waited, his mind wondered vaguely to how many of them he'd have to kill until the job was done.


	15. The escape

Chapter 15

Jenny and the rest of the ARC team stood gathered around the window that looked into one of the interrogation rooms_. _One of the sides was mirrored so that the man being held in the adjacent room couldn't see them, but they could see him.

"Who is he?" Abby asked, squinting her eyes to see through into the dimly lit room on the other side.

"I have no idea," Lester replied absently as he glanced down at the file in his hands. "Our soldiers found him waiting beside the anomaly, cool as you like. He told them he came through it, but he hasn't said another word since he got anomaly's closed now, and there's no sign of a creature incursion, so all's we need to do is deal with him and then we can get back to some real work."

"He's probably just some looney," Connor chimed in, putting his hand above his eyes to shield them from the glare of the artificial light to better see through the window.

Lester looked up at him as though surprised to see him there. "Don't you have something you should be doing?" he barked at him.

"Oh . . . yeah . . ." Connor said, his face dropping. "I'll just go and get back to it then . . ." he trailed off, looking disappointed.

"Yes, that would be such a good idea!" Lester snapped after him.

"James, we're extremely pressed for time as it is without having to deal with random weirdo's that hang around anomaly sites," Jenny interjected, feeling irritated that all this was cutting into their planning and training time. "I say we leave him in there until this is all over, and deal with him then."

Lester sighed at turned back to the window, looking rather torn. Eventually, he handed the file over to Jenny, who took it, surprised. "No, we can't just ignore the fact he knows something about the anomalies. You can be the one to do the interview."

"Why me?" Jenny gapped.

"Because you're good with people," he answered, his gaze travelling down her figure slightly. "Men in particular. If anyone can get him to talk, it's you."

Scowling, Jenny folded her arms around the file and looked around Nick, who gave a her a slight shrug.

"Problem?" Lester pushed, raising his eyebrow.

"No," she replied coldly, turning back to him.

"Good," he said curtly. "Now, the rest of you to get back to work. I don't want any more time wasted than necessary."

Every one trudged off, grumbling about something or another, and with a sigh, Jenny turned and reluctantly pushed open the door to the interrogation room.

* * *

The room had a musty, disused feeling to it and was rather dull; the only illumination coming from the flickering light that spanned a quarter of the flaking ceiling. In the middle of the room, there was a small rectangular table, at which sat a handsome man, who looked about twenty-five or twenty-six. He was dark haired which was cut shortish, and had a muscular physique that was displayed under the tight black shirt he was wearing. As Jenny closed the door and walked towards the table, the man's eyes watched her keenly, their colour indiscernible due to the lack of natural light in the room. A guard stood against the wall in the far corner, looking rather bored and unconcerned as he stared out into space.

"What's your name Sir?" Jenny asked the man in a stern voice as reached the desk, not able to mask how annoyed she was at being pulled away from her work.

"Matthew," he replied in a cold tone as he watched her take a seat opposite him.

"Full name Sir?"

"Matthew Markson," he replied with a smile.

Jenny crossed her legs and flopped the file down on the table, surveying him doubtfully.

"Matthew Markson?" she repeated, unable to keep the amusement out of her voice; it didn't take a PR genius to work out that he was lying.

"Yes."

"How very biblical of you," she retorted, flicking her pen against the pad. "Parents religious were they?"

"I wouldn't know," he replied, sitting back in his chair. "I didn't catch your name?"

"That's because I didn't say it," she replied dryly.

He chuckled coldly. "I must say, you're not very good at this."

"What do you mean?"

He leaned forward and rested his elbow on the desk, speaking in a low tone as though what he was saying was just between the two of them. "I know how this works. They send in the pretty woman to act all sweet to get the detainee to come over all talkative, and spill his secrets. Now, you've got the pretty part down, but I must say, you're lousy at the sweet bit."

Jenny sat back in her chair herself, staring at him, trying and failing to work this guy out. There was something about him that put her on edge, perhaps because of the keen intelligence that seeped through his words, or the way he lounged back, seemingly at ease with being detained and questioned by the government. He stared back at her with a smile, no hint of a reaction on his face.

"My name is Jenny," she replied eventually.

He inclined his head slightly. "Nice to meet you Jenny. Tell me, are you married?"

That question threw her for a second, and she looked up at him, knowing that the surprise was written all over her face. "And what business is that of yours?" she asked coolly, rearranging her expression into what she hoped was an impassive look.

"Well, far be it from me to tell you how to do your job," he began in a mock-guilty voice. "But what you should be looking to do is create intimacy between us by talking about personal issues. You want to make the prisoner feel like they can confide in you, you see. Helps get the conversation flowing."

"I'm sorry - would you prefer it if we swapped places and you do the interviewing instead?" she snapped sarcastically, and then immediately regretted it when a flash of triumph danced across his expression. He clearly relished the fact he had got a rise out of her. "Yes, I am married," she conceded.

"Huh," he nodded, looking at her curiously. "Then why aren't you wearing a wedding ring - ?"

"Shall we just stick to the point?" she interrupted him firmly, everting her gaze back down to the file. "You said you came through the anomaly? Is that true?"

"Yes," he answered immediately.

"Why?" she asked, watching his expression to detect any signs of lying. "Why did you come through?"

"I felt like a little midnight stroll," he answered, obviously being sarcastic.

"Can you just answer the question."

"I did."

"Past or future anomaly?" Jenny pushed, trying to ignore his disingenuousness.

"What do you think?" he replied coldly.

Jenny lost her temper with his cryptic answers and before she could contain herself, she slammed her hands down on the desk and stood up, leaning forward towards him. "I think that you're wasting my time Sir," she whispered in a tense voice. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some real work to be getting along with."

With that, she walked away, but she had barely reached the door when he spoke again.

"Yes, I'm sure you have a lot of preparations to make," he stated in a matter-of-fact voice. "I mean, you've only got two day's now, haven't you?"

She stopped and turned, knowing that he was referring to Helen's predictions.

"How do you know about that?" she asked in an annoyingly unsteady voice.

He glanced behind him at the guard in the corner. "I'll tell you everything you want to know. As long as we can talk alone."

She hesitated for a moment, torn between her desire to get him talking and her unwillingness to be alone with this man. But she shook herself mentally - she'd be quite safe. They were in a secure government building, after all.

"Leave us," she said to the guard.

"Ma'am," the guard nodded in acknowledgment of her order, walking past her and out of the door.

"Okay _'Matthew'_," she said in air quotes as she walked back to the table slowly and sunk into her seat. "You've got my full attention. Tell me everything you know about the anomalies that are meant to be opening in two days time."

He reclined back in his chair again, a smile playing on his lips. "We call it day zero."

"Who's 'we'?" Jenny demanded immediately, not liking the sound of that.

"The people who survive it," he replied slowly, as though savouring every word. "And believe me, there aren't many of us."

Silence followed as Jenny tried to absorb the implications of what he had just said. "You're lying," she stated eventually in a voice much stronger than she felt.

"Am I?" he chuckled. "Are you sure about that?"

Another dense silence followed as she struggled to come up with something to say. "Who are you?" she demanded when she found her voice again, narrowing her eyes as she surveyed him. "I know you're not who you say you are."

"Is that so?" he said, for some reason, looking throughly amused.

"You know what, I've had enough of this," Jenny snapped, her patience reaching the threshold. "You can discuss your little fantasy world with someone with more time on their hands."

She got up and crossed the room again, opening the door, but this time, he didn't use words to stop her. Before she had even became aware of what was happening, he was behind her and had slammed the door shut with his hand, and in the other hand, he held something hard and circular against the small of her back. It was only when she heard him take the safety off that she realised it was a gun he had pressed against her.

She froze in complete shock, her blood running cold.

"Keep calm," he breathed down her ear. "I'm not going to hurt you if you do exactly as I say. Are we clear?"

"Yes," she answered back numbly.

"And if you try any funny stuff, I won't hesitate in shooting my way out of here," he added sternly. "Either we leave here quietly and in one piece, or we leave a trail of bodies behind us. Your choice."

"Okay," she breathed back, feeling herself shaking at the thought of him hurting Nick or the others. "Okay . . ."

"Go," he said, prodding her with the gun slightly. "Now."

Hardly daring to breath, Jenny opened the door with a trembling hand and stepped unsteadily into the deserted corridor, her legs refusing to work properly. She felt the man behind her rest his hand on her hip to stabilise her, but he ensured that he kept the gun pressed against her hard at all times.

"The exit, if you please Jenny," he said to her in a quiet but commanding voice.

"Do you really think you'll be able to just walk out of here without arousing any suspicion?" Jenny asked in disbelief as they moved forward.

"Probably not," he answered casually. "But I hope that, for your sake, none of your colleagues interfere."

Jenny found herself torn between hoping that something would intervene to stop them, and her desperation for no one else to get involved incase he turned on them. God, they had been so stupid to bring him to the ARC in the first place . . .

Silently, they walked down corridor after corridor, only passing a few technicians on the way. Luckily (or unluckily as the case probably was), they didn't notice anything more untoward than Jenny escorting someone to the exit - the man, Matthew or whatever his real name was, certainly knew what he was doing.

"Ouch!" she snapped as he dug the gun particularly hard into her spine.

"Walk faster," he ordered in an undertone.

"Have you ever worn heels before?" she hissed at him, barely moving her lips in fear that someone would notice something was wrong and get themselves shot trying to help her.

"Um - no," he replied in a snarky tone.

"Well, just so you know, they're not the most ideal shoes to be wearing when you're being kidnapped," she snarled.

"Well, you should have factored kidnapping in when you got dressed this morning," he retorted in a distracted tone, his eyes searching the corridor for any sign of movement.

Finally, after what seemed like an age later, they reached the exit. Jenny felt the pressure of the gun lift as they approached, as Matthew had obviously noticed the soldier presiding over the way in and out.

"Sort it," he muttered, urging her forward.

Heart hammering, she gave the guard her best fake smile as she flashed the identification card around her neck. The guard nodded, and with a barely concealed exhale of relief, she made to step towards the exit.

"Er, Mrs Cutter?" the guard called after, and she stopped and turned, heart sinking as Matthew shot her a warning look. "You need to sign out your visitor," he finished, holding up a clipboard and pen.

Surprised, but trying hard to mask it, she stepped back to him with a gracious smile and took the pen he offered. She half considered writing a quick message asking for help, but in a split second, she decided against it - she couldn't risk putting other people in danger. So quickly, she wrote down the obviously fake name he had given her and handed the guard back the pen.

"Thank you," she said with a curt nod, before turning back to Matthew.

Without a word, they walked out into the ARC car park together. The darkness was only just abating into a cold dawn, and a dense mist had formed in the air from the drizzle of the night. As they walked, Jenny realised two things; one, that she had now been awake for twenty-four hours, and two, it was evacuation day.

"Where's your car?" he whispered to her, his tone suggesting that it was a choice between telling the truth or getting a bullet in the head.

Still shaking, she reached into her pants pocket and pulled out her keys, unlocking her car whilst they were still several feet away from it.

"Nice ride," he commented, sounding genuinely impressed as he rounded the car to get into the passengers seat.

"You're actually going to let me drive?" she asked in disbelief as she slowly got in herself. "And there was me thinking you were clever."

"Oh, I think you'll behave yourself," he said in an unconcerned voice as he retrieved his hidden gun and held it up to her, low enough so that it couldn't be seen by any civilians. "Now drive."


	16. The drive

Chapter 16

Jenny drove as best as she could with the threat of a gun being held up to her, although her movements were jittery, and she knew it. What was worse was that _he _knew it too, and whenever she glanced around at him, it sickened her to see that he was looking rather pleased with himself. Every now and then, he'd bark an instruction at her to make a turning or what have you, and she obeyed without question, although in her mind, she tried to keep track of which direction they were going for future reference . . ._ first left, third right, straight down, fifth right . . ._ but after a while, everything started to blur together in a haze of nameless streets and tiredness.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked him eventually.

"What?" he retorted coldly.

"_This,_" she repeated more forcefully. "You were waiting for our soldiers at the anomaly. Why did you do that if you didn't want to be caught?"

"I didn't say I didn't want to be caught," he replied, his gaze sliding lazily out of the window.

"But I don't understand what you got out of coming to the ARC?" she pushed, wanting to keep him talking now the conversation was flowing.

He looked back round at her and was silent for a moment before answering. "You."

She snapped her head round at him to see if he was taunting her, but his expression was unreadable. "I don't see what benefit my presence will bring you," she replied, her voice trembling.

He laughed slightly. "Oh, you'd be surprised."

"Whatever you need me for, you can go to hell," she retorted, a lot braver than she felt.

Again, he laughed as though he found her insolence amusing, and leaned towards her slightly, talking barely above a whisper. "If I do need something from you, I won't be asking for it, believe me."

"Look, if you're going to kill me, why don't you just get it over with?" she snapped, hating the anticipation of it all more than the fear of what was going to happen next.

"As I said, as long as you do as you're told, you'll be safe," he said in a reluctant tone as he sat back in his seat.

"Yeah right," she muttered.

"It's true," he bit back. "Oh, and take the next left."

She did as she was told, and they drove in silence for a few moments before she had to speak again, finding the tension unbearable.

"So what's your real name then?" she asked.

"Excuse me?"

"Your real name?" she repeated. "You've threatened me, kidnapped me, and now you're probably making me drive to my own death, so the least you could do me is the courtesy of telling me who you are."

He was silent for a moment, as though considering how much to say. Eventually, he cleared his throat. "I changed my name a long time ago. Everybody knows me as Matt. So that's what you can call me."

"Why did you change your name?"

Again, he paused before answering. "I wanted a clean start," he replied, a distant look in his eyes.

"Oh right, I understand," she said sarcastically. "You wanted a new identity to complement your new forte of taking people hostage."

"You know, you give a lot of back chat for a woman being held a gun point," he snapped.

"See, if you pull that trigger, the car would probably crash, killing you along with me," she pointed, more smugly that she really ought to feel.

He smiled slightly. "If you think death scares me, then you clearly haven't seen half the things I have. But believe me, you will."

His cold words sent a horrible shiver down her spine, and all of a sudden, the car felt suffocating and small. She forced her breathing to remain steady and resisted the overwhelming urge to start hyperventilating there and then, telling herself over and over that if she was going to survive this, she needed to keep her head. If she panicked, she'd be no use.

As they drove down a long twisting road, Jenny noticed that they were coming up to a bridge that ran over a massive lake, and suddenly, and insane idea popped into her head. She glanced around at Matt, and saw that he'd lowered the gun slightly, his gaze directed out of his window.

It was now or never.

Her heart bursted it's banks with beating as she tried to work out the right moment to do it. Seconds passed that felt like hours before she finally worked up the courage.

With one jolting motion, she turned the wheel sharply and immediately, the car turned and headed towards the flimsy railings lining the bridge.

"NO!" Matt shouted, trying to grab the wheel off her, but she fought him off and slammed the accelerator down with her heeled foot.

In the confusion, she felt the car crash into the fence, and then a strange sensation in her midriff as the vehicle left the road and hurdled towards the watery depths below. Shouts filled the car, whether her own or Matt's, Jenny could no longer tell.

They both fell forward with the force of hitting the water.

* * *

It took a few seconds for the shock of what she had just done to dissipate; all Jenny knew was that in what felt like no time at all, murky water enveloped her, freezing every fibre of her being. It was like being in some sort of eery dream world. Panicking, but forcing herself not to look around at the man next to her, she wrestled with the door handle. Seconds stretched into minutes as she tried to push it open, and her breath was running out . . . her strength leaving her . . . it was only the thought of Ben that allowed her to summon the energy for one last pull, and mercifully, the door opened slowly, and a massive pressure hit her. She fought her way through it, kicking out desperately to try and get to the surface. Eventually, she broke it, and gulped a lung full of crisp, icy air, frantically pushing her sopping wet hair out of her face. Shaking, barely able to move, she thrashed, looking around for any sight of the man she had been trying to escape, but the water now looked as placid as it was before they had disturbed it. Numbly, she kicked out again and swam clumsily towards the nearest bank, her limbs aching with the exertion and the piercing coldness.

She was nearly there . . . nearly there . . .

Suddenly, something grabbed her around her ankle, and she screamed, inhaling a mouthful of filthy water as she was pulled under again. She kicked against the grip fiercely, and she felt it loosen slightly, enough for her to pull herself away and continue on to the bank. When she reached it, she staggered forwards, coughing and spluttering. She was muddy and soaked through, causing her to slip and fall forward on all fours as hands grabbed her again from behind.

She knew who it was.

Her strength vanished, and she couldn't fight him off when he turned her onto her back and pinned her wrists down into the muddy ground.

"Stupid bitch, you could have killed the both of us!" he spat, his face flushed with rage.

"I'd rather die in a watery grave than wherever you were planning on taking me!" she yelled, as she managed to push him off and scramble backwards.

"Are you folks okay?" a strangers voice travelled over to them, making them both turn round abruptly.

A kindly looking old man was making his way slowly down the hill from the road to the embankment, concern written all over his face.

"We're fine!" Matt shouted back, grabbing Jenny by the upper arm and squeezing her in warning.

"I saw the car go over and everything!" the man continued in the same shocked voice. "I've phoned the police and the ambulance, and they should be here any minute - "

Gunshots cut into the air unexpectedly, making Jenny yelp in fright, and the man before them crumpled immediately, falling to the squelching ground hard and moving no more. Her mind went blank with shock as she tried to comprehend what had just happened, before realisation hit her like an asteroid.

Matt had shot him.

She gapped around at him, noticing how he still held his gun up coldly and heartlessly, no remorse in his expression. Jenny wrenched her arm out of his grip and staggered forward towards the man, and fell to her knees beside him, her shaking fingers feeling in vain for a pulse in his neck. Blood seeped from a large bullet wound in his chest and his stomach, and his eyes stared straight up ahead, completely and utterly lifeless.

She let out a dry sob, fighting the urge to retch into the ground as she heard footsteps approach her from behind.

"You've killed him," she breathed numbly, her voice trembling almost as much as the rest of her was.

"I had too," Matt's voice said coldly.

She looked around at him, tears swimming in her eyes. "No you didn't. He didn't do anything wrong, he was just trying to help - "

"I couldn't afford to waste the time to make excuses to him," Matt protested, as though there was any justification for his actions. "He'd alerted the authorities. Come on," he added, reaching forward and tugging on her arm. "We need to go. Now."

"Get off me!" she snarled, pulling herself away from his touch.

"You know, you can be as pissed off at me all you want, but just remember that I wouldn't have had to do this if you wouldn't have driven us into that bloody lake in the first place!" he exclaimed. "Now, get his keys off him and we'll take his car."

"Piss off," Jenny stated with as much venom as she could gather, turning back to the lifeless body.

The unmistakable sound of the safety catch being took off the gun could be heard, and she sensed rather than felt him lift the gun to the back of her head.

"I'm not asking Jenny, I'm telling you!" he yelled, failing to hide the panic from his voice. "Now do it, or you'll be joining him."

A tear cascaded down her freezing cold cheek as she reached forward and closed the dead man's eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered to him, knowing that he couldn't hear her, but finding saying it rather cathartic all the same.

Then, despising herself, she took the keys that were still entwined in the man's fingers and straightened up, thrusting them into Matt's chest with the dirtiest look she could muster.

"Thank you," he sated coolly, reaching up and taking them.

"I don't want your thanks you murderer," she whispered to him dangerously, raising her chin to meet his, all thoughts of trying to keep him sweet forgotten. "And if you were smart you would kill me, because it's now my life's mission to put a bullet in you before this is all over."

He stared back at her, his emotionless expression not quite masking the flicker of something she could quite put her finger on cross his eyes. Then, he sniffed and held his head higher, raising his hand to gesture up the embankment where the man's car was waiting.

"After you," he said curtly.


	17. At the base

Chapter 17

"She's _what_?" Cutter gapped, not sure he was hearing him correctly.

Lester signed and rubbed his hand across his furrowed forehead. "She's missing."

"How - how the hell could she be missing?" Cutter demanded, sure that the man must be having a laugh at his expense.

Lester sat back in his chair. "Well the fact that she's nowhere to be seen seems to imply it - "

"When was the last time you saw her?" Sarah interrupted, her face furrowed in concern.

"The last time you did," Lester replied in a matter-of-fact voice. "I went back in the interview room when I didn't hear anything from her, and it was completely empty. There was no Jenny, no prisoner, and no guard. And when I spoke to the guard who was meant to be there, he told me Jenny had sent him out a while ago."

"Why would she do that?" Abby questioned, looking confused.

Lester shrugged. "Do I look like Mystic Meg to you?"

"Sir," Becker voice interjected, as he walked in the office. "I spoke to the entrance guard, and he said Jenny left about an hour ago, and she signed out some dark haired guy with her. Sounds like our prisoner."

"Yes it does," Lester replied, looking at Cutter as though he was in on the plan. "So now she's taken to breaking out detainees - "

"There's no way she would have done that voluntarily!" Cutter insisted, feeling annoyed at the insinuation.

"He's right," Becker interjected, taking Cutter aback slightly - he didn't think the soldier had it in it to agree with him about anything.

But it turns out that he had evidence to back him up in the form of the surveillance tapes. They all gathered around Lester's computer and watched as Becker fiddled with the footage, trying to get it to the right part.

"Wouldn't it be quicker if we got Connor to do it?" Sarah suggested after minutes of unsuccessful tapping. "Oh look, he's coming up here now anyway - " she pointed out the office window to the figure making it's way up the ramp.

"For goodness sake, what part of 'don't move until the Locking Mechanism's finished' doesn't he understand?" Lester fumed.

"He's probably just wondering what we're all gathered in here for," Abby pointed out. "He's got a right to be curious - "

"No, what he's got is five seconds to get back to work before I break his neck!" Lester burst out loud enough for Connor to hear through the glass.

Connor stopped and rolled his eyes, before turning and making his way back down the ramp, looking dejected.

"There, see?" Becker said, pointing at a particular point on the screen.

Cutter leaned forward more to better see the rather blurry image he was pointing at. It was a freeze frame of two people walking down the ARC corridor; one of them was unmistakably Jenny, walking in front, and who he assumed was the prisoner following her.

"What's that?" Abby asked, touching a finger at a fuzzy black object the man in the footage seemed to be holding close to Jenny's back.

Cutter squinted his eyes, trying to get the pixilated image into focus . . . then his stomach disappeared as he realised what it was.

"It looks like a - "

"Gun," Cutter finished Abby's sentence for her, terror like he'd never felt before bubbling up in his stomach. "Oh god - "

"Now wait a minute, lets not panic," Lester interjected, his voice annoyingly calm. "It could be anything - "

"It's a bloody gun, look!" Cutter snapped, gesturing at the image again.

"So wait a minute," Sarah said in a wavering tone. "You're saying that Jenny's been - what? Kidnapped?"

"Oh, don't be so dramatic!" Lester scoffed, but Cutter had stopped listening; he had turned away, running his hands through his hair, panicking beyond reason.

His wife, the love of his life, the mother of his child . . . she was out there somewhere, being held at gun point. At_ gun point_. And he'd known nothing about it! He hadn't even noticed her being escorted out by a gun wheedling psychopath! What sort of husband was he?

Before he had even comprehended that he had decided to move, he found himself striding towards the door.

"Cutter, don't even think about it!" Lester bellowed after him, causing him halt by the door.

He turned, looking at the man in disbelief. "What?"

"There's no way I'm letting you out of here to go wandering around London in the middle of the evacuation," Lester said. "For one, it's a waste of time, and for two, it'll do Jenny no good - "

"So what do you expect me to do?" Cutter spluttered in complete incredulity as he approached the desk again. "Just leave her out there?"

"If the man wanted her dead, he would have done it by now," Lester pointed out.

"But he hasn't demanded a ransom either - " Abby began.

"Yes, thank you," Lester interrupted her, shooting her a stern look. He turned his gaze back to Cutter, speaking to him as though he was a fragile mental patient. "If we get any leads, we'll act upon it immediately, but until then - "

"Until then _what_?" Cutter snapped, losing his temper with all the time wasting.

"Until then, we stick to the plan," Lester finished firmly.

"No way," Cutter replied immediately. "I'm not leaving her out there in the hands of some nut-job!"

"Cutter - we don't know where he's taken her!" Lester exclaimed. "And I'm not compromising this whole operation by allowing my team to fruitlessly battle through the evacuating public to find one woman."

"That _woman_ just so happens to be my wife, and an important member of this team!" Cutter argued. "And you're just going to leave her in danger?"

"Jenny can handle herself!" Lester yelled, his face flushed. "She's a smart woman, she'll get a message to us. But until then, she'd want us to carry on. Because when she comes back, I'm sure she'd like a life to come back to, which she won't if we can't contain the anomalies. Just for once in your life Cutter, get on with your job, and leave the heroics to the people who know what they're doing!"

Unable to hear any more of the insufferable man's words, Cutter turned with a scowl and walked out with the intention of going to check to see if any more surveillance tapes had picked up the direction they had headed in.

He wouldn't just wait and see if she could make contact - he needed to know she was okay.

She had to be.

* * *

Lester sighed and sat back in his chair, feeling about twenty years older. The rest of the team stood around, hovering uncertainly, not knowing what to do. Lester glanced around at them, annoyed.

"Well, get on with your work," he snapped to the girls.

They both scowled and shot him a dirty look before stalking off. Lester waited until the door fell shut behind them, before turning to Becker.

"Go and follow Cutter. There's no way he's going to stay here while she's missing," he said. "Check any CCTV that might show the direction they've gone."

"And what? They could be anywhere by now," the soldier pointed out solemnly. "And people are still evacuating - it'll be complete bedlam out there."

Lester placed his thumb and forefinger on the bridge of his nose, feeling the start of a migraine coming on. "Just find her," he ordered quietly.

* * *

Matt had taken over the driving, either because he was concerned that Jenny might try another suicidal escape bid or because he knew after killing that man, he'd burnt any friendly bridges between them. Jenny sat in silence with her legs and arms crossed tight, feeling uncomfortable in her still-drenched and mud-caked clothes, her gaze firmly set out of the window to avoid having to look at him.

For reason's she couldn't even begin to fathom, he seemed interested in trying to get a conversation going.

"Not long to go now," he informed her in a casual tone.

She ignored him, jiggling her foot with annoyance.

"Oh, so you're not speaking to me now?" he asked in an amused tone. "Don't tell me you're still upset about that guy? He was half dead anyway, the age of him - "

"Have you no respect?" she snapped, looking around at him, shocked at his flippancy.

He sniggered slightly. "I find it hard to believe that in your line of work, you've never killed anyone."

"Only when I've had to," she insisted coldly, her mind flashing back to when she had shot that soldier all those years ago in Leek's bunker. "When I've had no choice."

"I _didn't _have a choice," he argued.

"Oh, you're nothing but a killer!" she spat, looking away from him again. "Don't be pretending that you regret what you've just done, because it's perfectly clear that you don't."

"No, you're right, I don't," he said with a shrug. "Because when you've killed as many times as I have, you become a desensitized to it. If I broke down every time I pulled the trigger, I'd be completely gaga by now."

"You know what, just don't talk to me any more okay?"

"Fine."

"Fine!"

"We're here now anyway," he pointed out as the car slowed down. "So be warned - if you think I'm a lousy conversationalist, I can't wait to see what you make of my colleagues."

"As long as one of them doesn't shoot down a frail old man in front of me, I think we'll get along just fine," she retorted sarcastically.

Matt let out a hollow laugh as he parked up. "I wouldn't rule it out."

They got out of the car, and immediately, he approached her and grabbed her upper arm tightly, marching her towards the door of a surprisingly normal-looking detached house.

"I can walk by myself thank you," she snarled, pulling herself away from his vice-like grip.

"I'm just making sure you don't try and throw yourself under a bus or something this time," he replied cruelly, as he grabbed her roughly again.

"Oh, I wouldn't jump in front of it myself - I'd just push you," she pointed out coldly as they reached the huge mahogany door.

He ignored her comment, and performed a very strange knocking pattern on the door with his free hand. Then he stepped back and pulled her closer into him as they waited for an answer. Eventually, the door was wrenched open, and a mean-looking middle-aged man with a bushy beard appeared, his expression annoyed until his eyes rested on Matt's face.

"Boss," he nodded his head, stepping aside for them to pass.

As Jenny brushed past him, she sensed him looking her up and down in frank appraisal, and she shuddered involuntarily, before chiding herself.

_Don't show any signs of weakness you idiot, _she thought firmly. _Stay aloof . . ._

She was escorted down a rather fancy hallway and into what she assumed had been the living room of the previous occupants, but now it had been made into what looked like a makeshift operations room. A strange computer device had been set up at the far side that she neither recognised, or had any interest about given the current situation she was in. She was too busy doing a mental head-count of the people in the room. There were two men lounging back on a plush cream couch, one with jet black hair, the other light blonde that looked almost white. They were in deep conversation with a red-headed man that was leaning forwards from an adjacent chair. They all looked around when they heard the footsteps of Matt and Jenny, and raised their eyebrows in surprise.

"We were starting to worry about you there boss," the red-haired man in the chair laughed in obvious relief, standing up.

"What, you doubted my ability to escape?" Matt asked coolly, and the man's face fell into a look of concern.

"No boss, of course not - " he stammered, but Matt cut him off.

"Is everything prepared?" he demanded, still keeping a firm grip on Jenny's arm. "The equipment, the cameras - ?"

"Yes, all taken care of boss," said the black-haired man as he stood up and surveyed Jenny curiously. "And what have we here?" he added.

"This is Jenny," Matt answered, and Jenny couldn't help but notice how his grip tightened on her slightly. "She works at the Anomaly Research Centre. I thought it'd be prudent to bring her here so we could have ARC expertise on tap."

"And that's not the only thing she can give us on tap," a man's amused voice said from behind them; it was the bearded man who had answered the door to them.

The other men sniggered, looking her up and down, and Jenny felt overwhelmingly intimidated. Her heart knocked against her rib-cage and fear flooded through her veins as she realised that there were five men against one woman, and if they attacked, she wouldn't be able to do much to stop it. But then, to her complete surprise -

"Jenny's here as my guest," Matt said, his voice commanding and foreboding. "She's not to be touched. Do I make myself clear?"

"Oh, come on boss," the black-haired man said, a definite note of pleading in his voice. "You can't have Kathryn _and_ this one to yourself - "

"Yeah, you've got to share the wealth round," the blonde-haired man interjected, eyeing Jenny hungrily. "You wouldn't mind, would you darling?" he added to Jenny with a grin.

Before Jenny could reply with the most obscene thing she could think of, Matt snapped, "I _said _she's not to be touched. And if I find any of you so much as laying one finger on her, you'll have me to answer to. And I think you all know what I'm capable of," he finished, looking around at each of them sternly. "Is there any part of that that's unclear to any of you?"

There was a general murmur of 'no boss, of course boss,' from the room.

"Excellent," Matt smiled in a false-sweet manner. "Now which room is spare for our guest?"

"None of them boss, except the basement," the red-haired man replied tentatively.

"Well then Johnson, I think you've just volunteered your room," Matt said sarcastically, but Jenny cut him off.

"The basements fine," she interjected, wanting to stay as far away from all of them as possible.

Matt looked around at her for a second raising a rueful eyebrow at her. "Fine," he said eventually. "Have it your way."

* * *

Matt reclined back in what he had chosen as his bedroom, his feet up on the desk that had on it several screens, each of them monitoring a different area of the house. He couldn't help but feel quite impressed that his men had managed to set everything up so quickly, especially seeing as this house was probably occupied when they arrived here, judging by the general feel of homeliness in the place. He wondered vaguely what they had done with the people that had been living here - not that he really cared. They had been forced to choose this house to make base as it was one of the only buildings standing in their time, and so they had studied it's structure before journeying here, knowing it would suffice as an operations area for the time being. If his men had killed the occupants, then it was necessary - perhaps unfortunate that they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, but that was life. It was unfair, cruel and often pointless. It was a lesson he had learned very early.

He focused his attention on the screen at the bottom; the one that monitored the basement. The figure of a woman could be seen leaning her back against the wall, despite the fact that there was a perfectly adequate bed next to her. She had her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them, hugging them close to her.

The door opened behind him, but he didn't look around to see who it was - he could tell by the light movements that it was Kathryn. He felt her walk up behind him and rest her hand on his shoulder, leaning over him and squinting at the screen he was looking at himself.

"That her?" she asked curiously, inclining her head at the screen.

"Yes," he replied shortly.

She smiled slightly and straightened up. "Pretty thing."

"Hmm," he agreed vaguely.

"What have you told her? About everything?"

"Nothing really," he answered, wishing she'd just leave him alone for a minute to get his head straight. "After I shot that guy, she didn't want to hear anything from me."

"You shot a man in front of her?" she repeated in disbelief. "Jesus Matt - "

"I didn't have a choice," he snapped, lifting his feet of the desk and swivelling round in his chair to face her. "She drove us off a bridge and into a bloody lake to try and escape. I was just cleaning up after her mess."

"She drove you off a bridge?" she repeated, sounding amused.

"Yes," he sighed. "She's just as I expected her to be. Proud, stubborn, and with a bloody death wish."

"Or . . ." she began tentatively. " . . . she's clever, gutsy and was doing what she had too to live. She probably thought you were going to kill her after all. Since I bet you were waving your gun around as usual - "

"Well I didn't think she'd come if I just asked nicely," he retorted sarcastically.

"Right," she said in a patient tone. "And by the way, why are you watching her through the camera? Why don't you just go down there and tell her the situation - "

"No," he snapped, swivelling back to look blindly at the screen.

"You haven't even heard her side of the story - "

"And I don't want to," he interjected firmly.

"Or . . ." she began again in the same gentle voice. "You're scared that if you go and speak to her, you'll actually start to feel something for her - "

"Be careful Kathryn," he cut her off in a dangerous whisper. "Remember who you're talking to here."

"Sorry Sir," she said immediately.

He was silent for a moment as he watched the woman on the screen get to her feet and pace slightly, running her hands through her hair, looking panicked.

"Go and give her a change of clothes and something to help her sleep," he ordered to Kathryn without turning round.

"Sir," she breathed, and he sensed her nod before backing out the room.

"And Kathryn?" he added, causing her to halt by the door. "Don't be getting too pally-pally with her, will you?"

"No Sir," she replied in a cold tone before she left, closing the door behind her.


	18. Who are you?

**Sorry sorry sorry! I had a massive dissertation presentation to do in uni, but it's over now thank god! So on with our story . . . **

* * *

Chapter 18

Jenny paced around the roomy basement, trying desperately to control her panic as her eyes scanned the place, looking for any points of weakness she could possibly use to her advantage. The room was dimly lit by a naked bulb hanging from the ceiling, and wooden beams dipped low over-head. The rickety staircase covered most of the side wall, with pitch black gaps in between each step that looked creepy and foreboding. Her gaze fell on a camera that looked like it had recently been fitted in the corner, it's red light winking ominously at her, making her feel like she was being examined under a microscope. Resisting the urge to put two fingers up at who ever was watching her at the other end, she looked away and spotted a tiny little window right at the top of the adjacent wall, and through it, blades of grass were only just visible, brushing up against the glass. It didn't offer her much hope, as she knew without even trying that her hips wouldn't go anywhere near it; in fact, she doubted very much whether Abby's waif-like figure would even fit through. Still, it seemed silly to not even try and see if it was unlocked. Using a couple of boxes to lever herself up, she balanced haphazardly against the clammy wall and reached up, pushing on the handle.

Locked. Of course.

"There's no point in trying to break out," an unfamiliar female voice spoke from behind her. "Everywhere's secured."

Turning sharply and barely stifling a yelp of surprise, Jenny saw that a slim blonde woman was standing half way down the stairs, holding a tray in her hands and carrying something dark under her arm.

"It doesn't mean I won't try," Jenny retorted coldly as she hopped down from the box.

"Of course," the woman smiled slightly, walking down the last few steps carefully whilst keeping the tray balanced.

"Who the hell are you?" Jenny asked, watching her suspiciously; the woman may look angelic, but if she was with this gang, Jenny doubted she was as sweet as she appeared.

"My name's Kathryn," she replied politely as she set the tray down on a box near the stairs.

The name rang a bell in Jenny's head, and when she strained, she remembered the words of one of the men upstairs. "You're Matt's girlfriend?" she asked, folding her arms and watching her.

The woman let out a small laugh. "That would be a term used very loosely."

"Right . . ." said Jenny, giving her a funny look.

"Don't judge," Kathryn said, narrowing her eyes slightly.

Jenny raised her hands. "I'm not. It's none of my business."

The woman crossed her arms also, and her bright green eyes studied Jenny's face for a moment, as though searching for something there.

"I've brought you some fresh clothes,'" she said eventually, gesturing over to the pile of black material next to the tray. "And I've brought you some water and pills."

"Pills?" Jenny repeated, not sure if she'd heard right.

"To help you sleep," Kathryn qualified. "Believe me, you'll need it in this place. The boys can get a bit loud."

"I don't take drugs," Jenny informed her, unable to hide her disapproval.

"Look, there's no need for you to be more uncomfortable than you have to be," she said in a gentle, soothing tone.

"Really?" Jenny said, raising a disbelieving eyebrow. "Then let me go."

The soft smile on the woman's face faltered slightly. "I can't," she said, everting her eyes from Jenny's face. "I'm just following orders."

"Who's orders? Matt's?" Jenny probed, unable to help noticing that this girl seemed different to the others in some way. _Nice _even. Well, with more of a conscience than the men there anyway. Which Jenny realised would make her easier to exploit -

"Yes," Kathryn replied reluctantly, still not quite able to meet her in the eye.

"What does he want with me?" Jenny demanded, approaching her cautiously and searching her pale face for any reaction to indicate the truth. "Why has he bought me here?"

"Look . . ." she began slowly, rubbing her hand over the back of her neck uncomfortably. "His methods might not be entirely humane, but he's a good man - "

"Good?" Jenny repeated in disbelief. "_Good? _I watched him riddle an old man with bullets today. Good people don't do that."

"He needed to get you back here quickly," Kathryn interjected, as though that explained it all away.

"Why?" Jenny pushed, frowning.

"To protect you."

"Protect me?" Jenny repeated, completely bemused. "From what?"

"Look, I've said too much already - " she said hurriedly, turning as if to leave.

Jenny reached out and rested her hand on the woman's shoulder, halting her. "Why is a nice girl like you hanging round with some one like Matt? Hmm? He's a bully and a murderer - "

"Because without him, I'd be dead right now," Kathryn replied in a strained whisper, turning back to face her. "You have no idea what the world we left behind was like. He found me - he saved me."

"Saved you?" Jenny replied doubtfully, gesturing to some purple bruising evident on her chalk white neck. "That his handiwork, is it?"

Self-consciously, the woman ran the back of her hand across her throat as though she could wipe away the marks. "I deserved it," she mumbled.

"No one deserves that!" Jenny burst out, flinging her hands in the air slightly in frustration. "He's got you brainwashed! He's a psychopath!"

Kathryn let out a small, watery titter. "You don't know how ironic it is that you're saying that - "

"Listen," Jenny cut her off in a quiet tone, half-glancing around at the camera. "Help me. Come back to the ARC with me, and I'll make sure you're safe. Just help me get out of here - "

"I can't!" she hissed back, looking flustered. "He'd kill me. And that aside, I owe him big time. And believe it or not, it's for your own good that you're away from it all. You're just going to have to try and make the best of it - "

"Listen - it's clear he's done a good job with you," Jenny interrupted sternly, folding her arms. "But I'm not staying here one second longer than I have to."

"Fine, you keep beating yourself up about it," Kathryn shrugged, her voice sounding stung. "Now just take the pills and I'll be on my way."

"I'm not taking anything," Jenny snapped, giving her a dirty look. "And if you're a sensible girl, you wouldn't either. Not when there's a big group of alpha males around. You'd be stupid to put yourself in that position."

"Look, I've been ordered to make you take those pills, so you can either take them voluntarily, or I can go up there and get one of them to force them down your throat. How's that sound?"

Jenny narrowed her eyes at the woman as a silence fell between them. True, she didn't relish the idea of being drugged up by a bunch of soldiers instead, but there was no way she was going to make herself more vulnerable than she already was. Eventually, she reached forward and picked up the tiny pot of tablets, tilting her head back and taking them in her mouth all in one go. Then, she took a swig of water, shuddering slightly.

"Good girl," Kathryn stated, rather condescendingly since she was at least five years Jenny's junior. She offered her a weak smile before turning to walk back up the stairs. "They're strong, so they'll knock you out in about five minutes. After you've had a sleep, I'll bring you something to eat. But rest for now. Nothing's going to happen to you."

She disappeared from view and the sound of the door being shut and bolted could be heard. Immediately, Jenny turned away from the camera and picked the tablets out from underneath her tongue, grimacing as she did so. Quickly, hoping no one was watching, she stuffed them in her pocket.

* * *

The hours seemed to stretch on as an early winter darkness began to fall outside, and what little light had managed to fight its way through the minuscule grim-caked window was beginning to dissipate. The flickering bulb up ahead seemed to be giving up the ghost, only gracing the room with light for a few seconds before plunging it into darkness once more. Jenny's pride forced her not to lie down on the musty camp bed that had been erected next to her, but even she had to admit to herself that she was having difficulty keeping her eyes open as she sat leaning against the icy wall - she couldn't even summon the energy to count how many hours she'd been awake now, but she knew it was too long for her to be able to hold sleep off much longer. Up until that point, fear and survival instinct had prevented her from giving in to the overwhelming desire to curl up in a ball and sleep, but now that it seemed like she was looking at a long night down here alone, it was becoming harder and harder to stay awake.

She was dimly aware of her head dropping forwards onto her chest . . .

The abrupt sound of the bolt suddenly being withdrew startled her, forced her head to snap up. Light flooded down the staircase, temporarily blinding her and making her arm instinctually fly up to shield her eyes from its intensity. Confused and drowsy, she managed to stagger to her feet, leaning against the wall for support as heavy footsteps thudded down each wooden step. Blinking stupidly, she squinted her tired eyes to try and focus them on the figure in front of her. It was only when his face was right in front of her that she managed to get her eyes to work, and she recognised him as the bearded man from earlier.

Her heart palpitated with terror as her sluggish brain realised that he was far too close. She opened her mouth to scream, but before any sound could come out, he had clamped his hand over her mouth and thrown her against the wall, hard, cracking the back of her head against it painfully.

"There's no point in screaming girl - your protectors otherwise engaged," he whispered menacingly against her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. "And if you dare go crying to the boss about this afterwards, I'll kill you. Do you understand?"

She tried with all her might to shout something - _anything - _but he squeezed his hand across her mouth tighter.

"I don't see what his problem is anyway," he continued in the same sneering tone. "It's not like he's using you at the moment. Unless he's worried that by the time he gets to you, you'll be damaged goods - "

Jenny managed to bite down hard on the stretched skin inbetween his thumb and index finger, causing him to yelp in pain and wrench himself away from her, cradling one hand in the other as his face contorted with pure rage.

"You - !" he yelled shakily, before smacking her hard with the back of his hand.

The force of it made her slam to the floor instantly, landing on her front. Pain erupted in her cheekbone.

Dazed, she looked around, ready to try and fight again -

Then confusion ensued.

She wasn't sure what was happening . . . suddenly, there seemed to be two figures in the room . . . the light bulb was still flashing wildly . . . there was a scuffling right next to her, and the unmistakable sound of a fist making contact with bone . . . suddenly, she felt something slump to the floor beside her.

Squinting through the erratic lighting, her stomach lurched sickeningly and she was screaming before she even comprehended what she was seeing. The bearded man - his neck at a very odd ankle, his cold grey eyes open and staring - he was unmistakably dead.

Other footsteps thundered down the stairs and suddenly the room was full with five others that Jenny couldn't make out right now. All she could see properly was Matt standing with his back to her, facing the group, his shoulders squared and his chest puffed out.

"Anyone else want a go?" he asked them in a quiet but demanding voice.

No one answered.

"IS THERE ANYONE ELSE?" he bellowed, the anger seeping through his tone.

"No boss," another man's voice said that Jenny recognised from earlier, but couldn't put her finger on it, so shocked was she at what had just happened.

"Right then," Matt stated in a booming voice. "Now let this be a warning about what happens when you disobey my orders. Johnson - get rid of him."

"Yes Sir . . ."

Then, the next thing Jenny knew, her arm was being pulled over Matt's shoulder and he picked her up. She wanted to push him away; wanted to put as much distance between them as possible, but it was no good - her strength left her and she couldn't summon the energy to stop him carrying her past the staring eyes and out of the basement.

Whether she had blacked out or not, she was unsure, but all she knew was that the next thing she was aware of was being carried into a strange master bedroom.

"Get off me," she murmured faintly, pushing at his chest so that he let her on her feet.

"Oh, relax, I'm not going to hurt you," he snapped, looking disgruntled. "This is Kathryn's room, but I'm sure she won't mind if you have it."

"You - " she stammered as she sunk down on the double bed, still trying to get everything straight in her head. "You've just killed your friend."

"He wasn't a friend - he was my subordinate," he shrugged, as though he snapped people's necks every day. "And he disobeyed a direct order."

"So you think that justifies killing him?" Jenny gapped, looking up at him in disbelief.

"Absolutely," he replied immediately.

"You're sick," Jenny said numbly, shaking her head. "Do you know that?"

He laughed in incredulity. "I should have let him have you then, for all the thanks I get! I've just saved you - "

"Saved me?" she gapped, drawing energy from her complete and utter disbelief. "_Saved me? _YOU brought me here! YOU put me in that situation in the first place!"

"To keep you alive!" he burst out, pacing back and forth slightly.

"What do you mean?" she demanded, growing tired of these bloody cryptic answers she seemed to be getting off everyone.

He turned and surveyed her coldly for a moment, as though reluctant to say something. Then, he sighed and ran his hand across his furrowed forehead. "If you go into battle against the creatures in two days time . . ." he trailed off, his eyes meeting hers. " . . . you die."

"What?"

"You don't survive it," he repeated firmly, his gaze resting firmly on the widow that looked onto the front garden. "It's in my history."

Jenny stared at him for a few seconds, trying to work out if he was being sincere or not, but his expression was distant, and completely unreadable.

"You're lying," she stated, her voice quivering.

He laughed again coldly and turned away from her. "You know what - believe what you want. I'm sick of trying to convince you of everything."

A long silence ensued as Jenny tried to absorb his words. "Who are you?" she demanded eventually, narrowing her eyes as her gaze traveled over him.

He looked up at the ceiling for a moment, letting out a low exhale, before evidently deciding on something and marching back over to her.

"Who do you think I am?" he snapped, reaching up and pulling the sleeve of his top up to expose his bulging bicep. On the inner side of his upper arm, distinctive against his skin, was a large birthmark.

A birthmark that was unmistakably, undeniably recognisable to her.

"Mother," he finished curtly, letting his sleeve fall back in place slowly.


	19. The explanation

Chapter 19

Silence followed his words, compressing right up against her eardrums, deafening her. A terrible feeling of numbness seemed to flow through her veins, making her stomach clench.

"N - no," she stuttered when she eventually found her voice, her mind going completely blank. "You're - you're crazy - "

He grabbed her face roughly in his cupped hands, startling her, forcing her to look into his cold eyes. For the first time, she noticed their colour.

Piercing blue.

Just like Nick's.

Just like . . .

"Ben," she whispered, a sickening swoop taking hold of her.

He let go of her and straightened up, surveying her reaction emotionlessly.

"No," she repeated, shaking her head defiantly, unable to digest it all. "I - I don't believe you."

"Believe it," he stated coldly.

Jenny stood up abruptly, all tiredness forgotten, and turned away from him to look at the wall, running the back of her trembling hand over her mouth. "I think I'm going to be sick," she murmured.

"Charming," he chuckled icily.

"But - " she began again, not able to wrap her head around it all as she looked back at him. "But you're - you're a killer."

"I am what I have to be."

"So - so you're telling me . . ." she said, her voice braking with sharp inhales that she couldn't seem to control, "that - that the sweet little boy I've been raising . . . that little boy that means the world to me . . . he grows up into_ you_?" she gapped, feeling utterly disgusted. "No - no, I won't believe it. I wouldn't let that happen."

"You don't," he stated drily. "You leave me."

"I would never leave my son!"

"Then how come the last memory I have of you is you walking away from me when I'm screaming for you to take me with you?" he asked in a tense voice - it was clear that he'd been waiting years to say this. "But you never turned around. You left me so that you could go on a bloody suicide mission."

"You're mad at _me_ because I apparently die trying to protect you?" she accused, leaning her back against the wall to stop herself collapsing. "Are you serious?"

"You chose your job over me!" he snapped, his temper clearly rising. "You chose to walk to your death without even a consideration for me! It's thanks to you I'm like this!"

"Don't you _dare_ blame me for you becoming a murderer!" she yelled back, feeling a rush of indignance.

"Keep your voice down!" he snarled, half-glancing round at the door. "If they find out who you are, and that I've risked the integrity of our operation for you, I'll lose any authority I have over them and we're both dead!"

But Jenny had stopped listening to him, her thoughts running a mile a minute. Suddenly, she gasped as something occurred to her. "But you - you kidnapped me!" she exclaimed, feeling a wave of nausea. "You held a gun to my head! Your own mother! What's - what's wrong with you?" she spat, shoving him hard in the chest.

"I did it to keep you alive, but now I wish I hadn't bothered!" he hissed. "See, the fact that I've just told you I'm your son and you've showed me nothing but hostility just proves how much of disaster you are as a mother!"

"Well what do you want me to say?" she demanded, completely aghast. "That I'm proud? That when I held you as a baby after fourteen hours of labour, I hoped you'd grow into some murdering sociopath - "

He turned, his face livid, and punched the wall next to her head hard, making her jump out of her skin. He was clearly fighting the urge to strike her himself.

"Don't talk about things you don't understand," he whispered venomously, his face so close to hers that she could feel his breath on her cheek. "You have no idea what things are like in my world. If you aren't tough, you don't survive. If you don't kill, you'll get killed yourself. So don't you be getting all high and mighty with me - you don't know what it's like - "

"I know one thing," she breathed back, looking up at his cold blue eyes that were so different from the warm ones she was used to looking into. "If I am your mother, you'll show a bit of bloody respect when you're speaking to me. Do I make myself clear?"

He withdrew his fist slowly, staring her down. "Respect is earned," he stated, taking a few steps back from her.

Jenny still couldn't comprehend it all. Ben, her son, the only reason she'd been able to keep going the past six months - he turns into this _monster_. A murdering, woman beating, hostage-taking fiend. And what's worse, he maintained that it was all _her_ fault. That the fact that she left him with her mum was imprinted in his memory, turning him into this cold-hearted maniac. And what was worst still - her instincts had told her it had been the wrong choice. She should have gone with him - she knew that. But she could never bring herself to leave Nick and the others; it wasn't who she was.

"What do you want from me?" she asked hopelessly, her voice cracking with emotion that she was trying desperately to hide.

"Exactly what I got," he said coolly. "Nothing."

She waited for the unexpected pain in her heart to subside before speaking. "If you hate me so much, why have you brought me here?" she asked quietly. "Why didn't you let me die out there like I'm supposed to?"

"I - " he stammered, for the first time looking caught of guard by her question. "I - I don't _hate_ you . . ." he said reluctantly. "You're my mother."

"What about Nick?" she pushed, desperate to know what his fate was, but at the same time, not wanting to know if he was destined to die too. "What about your dad? Does he - ?"

"Oh no - he survives day zero, for all the good it does."

"What do you mean?" she asked, bemused.

"After you died . . . he was just an empty shell," he began in a hollow tone, the pain evident beneath the pools of those cool eyes. "He said I reminded him of you too much. He could barely look at me. Oh, he tried to hide it, but I could always see that look of contempt in his eye. He resented me because he had to raise me without you - try and keep me alive when the whole world had become a dead zone. And then when I was thirteen, he was killed himself by a creature. And then I was on my own."

Jenny perched on the side of the bed, staring into space, unable to keep standing when all she wanted to do was curl up and cry. This was all going to happen. She had two days left to live. All of a sudden, she became hyper aware of each movement of her body, from the way her chest rose and fell with each breath she took, to the way her heart pounded erratically against her ribs, as though trying to fulfil its beating quota in those few moments. As though it knew that soon enough, it would cease pumping altogether.

"What exactly happens on day zero?" she asked numbly.

After a slight pause, Ben sunk onto the bed next to her and leaned forward, burying his head in his hands. "You're all overwhelmed by the creatures that come through," he replied quietly. "There's too many to contain. And your locking mechanism doesn't work - the theory that closing one of the anomalies closes them all is right, but there's not enough power behind it to pull it off. And because the energy can't be contained, the fault line continues to rupture. The anomalies spread around the world. And by the time they close themselves, it's too late. More than half the world's wiped out. The human race has descended into chaos. People go round killing, mugging, raping women. Because nothing matters anymore but surviving."

"And you blame me for all that?" she asked in a small voice.

"I blame you because you weren't there with me," he corrected, looking round at her. "I was a kid mum, and you left me."

"Oh, what would you know about it?" she snapped, standing up in her anger at his accusation. "You'll only understand when you're a parent yourself that you'll do anything to protect your children - even send them away."

He looked up at her, his face contorted slightly, and she caught the faintest trace of sadness flicker in his eyes. And then, hopelessly and wholly, she understood.

"I'm sorry," she said hurriedly in the most gentle voice she could. "I - I didn't know - "

"No, of course you didn't," he said bitterly.

"I - I didn't know you were married - "

"You're not getting this are you?" he interrupted in a strained voice. "There's no society in the future - marriage is pointless. But I did have a daughter," he added solemnly, reaching into his pants pocket and pulling out a battered-looking photograph and handing it over to Jenny.

She looked down at the picture and saw a little girl staring up at the camera, with a big grin on her face. She couldn't have been older than three. Her hair was dark and curly, pulled into a side pony tail, and her eyes were big and brown, just like Jenny's. Her heart melted as she looked down at the picture - the picture of her granddaughter.

"She's gorgeous," Jenny said warmly. "She looks just like you do now - the present version of you I mean. What's her name?"

"Bethany."

"Well, where is she then?" Jenny demanded, looking back at him questioningly. "Did you bring her with you?"

He looked up at the ceiling, exhaling heavily as though bracing himself to say something he really didn't want to say. "She's dead," he mumbled eventually.

Jenny squeezed her eyes shut against the horrible stabbing sorrow. "And the mother?"

He didn't need to reply to that question - the answer was written all over his face.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, looking down at the picture again.

"Don't be," he stated coldly as he stood up, taking the photograph off her and replacing it in his pocket. "Because I'm going to change everything. That's why we're here. To stop the anomalies and the creatures from spreading."

"But surely that'll mean she'll never be born in the first place?" Jenny asked, confused.

"That's a hell of a lot better than the fate she had," he replied bitterly, not looking her in the eye.

"Well, if we're all working for the same thing, why can't we all pool our research?" Jenny suggested. "Why does it have to be like this?"

"Because there are things that we're willing to do that you aren't," he answered. "To protect the future. We've got a closing mechanism that works, and we're going to conduct a complete extermination of London, not discriminating against humans and creatures. We're going to gas the place. That's why I wanted you out of there."

"But - " Jenny began, a dawning realisation setting in. "What about your father?"

"What about him?" he shrugged.

"You're just going to leave him out there?" she exclaimed in disbelief.

"Look, he had his chance with me and he blew it!" he burst out. "And anyway, why do you care? You're not together anymore. You're not even wearing your wedding ring - "

"Just because I'm not wearing a piece of metal around my finger doesn't mean I don't love him!"

"I don't see why you do," he chuckled coldly. "Why aren't you together anyway?"

"That's none of your business."

"Did he do that?" he asked, gesturing to the cut on her neck.

"Your father would never lay a finger on me," she whispered numbly. "It's a pity you're not like him in that respect."

"I've never touched you!" he scoffed.

"Well I beg to differ," she stated venomously as she lifted up the sleeve of the top Kathryn had given her, showing him the bruises on her arm as evidence. "But I'm not talking about me. I'm talking about Kathryn."

"What did she say to you?" he demanded immediately.

"She didn't say anything," Jenny qualified quickly, scared that she was going to get the girl in trouble. "The fact that her necks covered in bruises told me."

"And?" he said in a nonchalant tone.

Jenny stared at him for a moment, gapping in complete incredulity. "You bastard," she breathed eventually, shaking her head.

"I'm warning you - don't wind me up," he said through gritted teeth.

"Why, what are you going to do to me son?" she laughed sarcastically. "Are you going to threaten me with a gun? Oh no, wait - you already did that."

"Just give it a rest will you?"

"Is that how you make yourself feel like a big man?" she pushed, unable to stop herself venting now she had started. "Hitting women? God, if I would have known how you were going to turn out, I would have got rid of you when I had the chance - "

He grabbed her arm aggressively and twisted it, causing pain to shoot through it, forcing her down on her knees with a gasp. Then, as quickly as he'd done it, he let go of her, as though realising what he'd done. He crouched down next to her as she raised her head to look at him.

"There is no good and bad in my world," he whispered. "There's only surviving. And I'm very, _very_ good at it. And if anything threatens me or my plans, I take it out. No mercy."

She felt herself shaking as she tried to control her erratic breathing. "Is that supposed to scare me?" she asked, making sure her voice didn't betray the worry that make her stomach churn.

He straightened up abruptly, looking down at her with a curious expression on his face.

"You don't need to fear me mother," he stated eventually, his tone seeped in contempt. "And you're the only person who can say that."


	20. How does it happen?

Chapter 20

A long time passed without either of them speaking. Jenny had sunk onto the bed, feeling completely and utterly drained, and Ben had slid down onto the floor and was leaning against the adjacent wall, staring blankly up at the ceiling. At one point, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and took one out.

"That's one of the best things about being back here," he said wistfully as he placed one in his mouth and lit it. "I can finally get a decent pack of fags."

"Do you have any idea what they do to your lungs?" Jenny snapped bossily as she watched him take a long drag with disapproval.

"Yes," he replied shortly. "But we've all got to die of something right? And lung cancer or emphysema seem like a sweet way to go in comparison to getting torn apart by a creature."

His flippant words stirred something inside Jenny as she painfully remembered his dire predictions for her own demise.

"How does it happen?" she asked in as casual a tone as she could.

"Excuse me?"

"How do I die?" she probed, shuffling slightly so that she rested her back against the headboard. "At least tell me it's a good one."

"You think that's funny?" he asked in a brittle tone.

"A little bit, yeah," she lied, raising an eyebrow at him. "So do you want to tell me, or would you prefer me to guess?"

He paused for a minute, looking her up and down as though sizing up how much to tell her. "It's a creature attack," he answered eventually in a hollow voice. "Dad spared me the full details, but from what I could gather, a Raptor catches you off-guard."

"A Raptor?" she repeated, using an amused tone to hide her complete and utter horror. "Interesting. I must say, of all the ways I've pictured my death, a Raptor wasn't one of them."

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway because it's not going to happen now."

She laughed weakly. "You seriously expect me to stay here when you're going to gas my husband, not to mention my closest friends?"

"You don't have a choice," he stated sharply.

She let out a disbelieving scowl and rolled her eyes, turning her gaze away from him. She didn't care what he said or what it took to get out of there, she was going to do it. She couldn't just sit here, reasonably safe and sound when Nick and the others were in danger, first from the creatures, then from being suffocated by poisoned air. She couldn't let that happen.

"I know you think I'm a monster," he spoke again unexpectedly. "But I just don't want to lose you again."

Surprised, she looked back at him, noticing that he was watching her with a slight frown, making him look more like her Ben than he ever had done. Then, with a gasp, a horrible sickening thought occurred to her.

"Oh god - I didn't flirt with you did I?" she asked, feeling a wave of nausea.

"What? he exclaimed hotly, narrowing his eyes in disgust. "No!"

"Thank god," she sighed to herself, relieved.

Another dense silence fell between them, awkward and stifling. Jenny didn't know what to say to him. Sure, genetically he might be her son, but he was just a stranger to her. Worse than a stranger - he was her kidnapper. What was she supposed to do - try and get to know him? Try and break through the emotional wall he'd erected between them? A part of her wanted to. A part of her burned to know everything about him. But what was the point? He wasn't her little boy, and he never would be. He was a killer, hardened by the dreadful world in which he had dragged himself up in. Why should she want to get to know him? But still . . . the former part of her seemed to win out.

"You said before that one of the only memories you have of me is me leaving you with your nan," she said quietly. "Do you have any others of me? Any at all?"

He paused for a moment, throwing his half-smoked cigarette into a plant pot next to him. "Just feelings mostly," he replied distantly, frowning slightly as he was clearly straining for a memory. "I remember feeling safe and happy when I was with you. And your smell," he added, glancing up at her. "I remember the smell of your perfume. You're wearing it now."

"Oh," she sighed, slightly disappointed at the fact that all of the times she had spent with him - all the times she had sat up with him at night when he was frightened; all the times she had snuggled him close to her when they were watching the television - none of it had stuck in his memory.

"All my life, I wondered what it'd be like to meet you," he continued quietly, his gaze set firmly on his hands. "And what I would say to you if I did."

"And am I what you expected?" she pushed.

"No," he replied shortly. "You're more."

She laughed drily. "I'm going to choose to take that as a compliment."

"Good - it was intended as one," he qualified.

Hesitating slightly before making up her mind, she got to her feet slowly and walked up to him, sliding down to sit on the floor next to him.

"I know you've got to act all tough," she said, cautiously resting her hand on his arm. "But I also know that if given the option, you're a good person. You've got to be."

"I think I was once," he replied coldly, although he didn't pull away from her touch.

"If you're trying so hard to save me, then you must be good," she pushed, watching his stony expression.

"I'm saving you so that I don't have to grow up without a mother," he corrected her.

"So you don't feel anything for me?"

He wrenched his arm out of her grasp suddenly and stood up, regaining his distance from her. "Don't be trying any of that shit with me," he snapped, pointing an accusing finger at her.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, confused at the sudden out-burst.

"Listen, I know you're used to being able to wrap people round your little finger," he said, narrowing his eyes. "But it won't work with me."

"I was just asking you a question!" she retorted, getting to her feet also, finding his height advantage suddenly unnerving. "Just because you're too scared to answer it - "

"I'm not scared of anything," he breathed, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"Look," she began, trying a different tact and fixing him with a pleading stare. "You can't go ahead and gas the whole of London - "

"Everyone's evacuated anyway," he replied in a unconcerned tone. "So it's not like it matters - "

"Yes, everyone except most of the people I love!" she exclaimed in incredulity.

"No-one's life is more important than stopping the creatures!" he barked back, matching her anger.

"Except mine?"

"Listen, I took a huge risk bringing you back here!" he snarled, nostrils flaring in fury. "The least you could do is be grateful - "

"_Grateful_?" she gapped.

"Yes!" he bellowed, all thoughts of keeping his volume down apparently forgotten. "Because of me, you'll survive long enough to bring up little mini-me, and stop him having the life I did."

"But now that you've warned me about my dying, I won't let it happen," she pointed out, trying her best to regain her calm. "I can be more careful. Just let me go - "

"It doesn't work like that!" he groaned in frustration. "It's harder to change the past than you might think. By just altering something small, time will still find a way of achieving it's goal. To change things, it requires a massive intervention - like me removing you from the battle completely. Because if you went at all, you would die. It may not be in the same way as in my past, but believe me, it'd happen."

"But - " she began to argue back, but her voice faltered as she spotted something out of the corner of her eye that stopped her heart. There, lying as though discarded on the floor, was some sort of mobile phone. It must have fell out of Ben's pocket when he was sitting against the wall.

"What?" he said, his expression bemused as his eyes searched her face.

"Nothing," she replied immediately, her gaze snapping back to him, panicking about not letting him discovering it lying there. "Look, Ben - "

"Don't call me that," he snapped through gritted teeth. "It's Matt."

Jenny chuckled coldly before she could stop herself. "I gave you life, so I'll call you what I damn-well please."

"If you - " he began, stepping towards her aggressively, but he was interrupted by the door bursting open, causing them both to turn.

It was Kathryn.

"Oh . . . sorry . . ." she stammered, looking inbetween the two of them. "I hope I'm not interrupting?"

"Yes, you were," Ben snapped rudely. "What do you want?"

"You're needed downstairs," she informed him, shifting herself guiltily.

He sighed deeply before glancing round at Jenny. "Stay here - I'll be back in a moment."

She nodded immediately and watched as he barged past Kathryn out of the door. Jenny felt a prickle of anger as the girl winced in pain and touched her hand tenderly to her shoulder. "Charming boy, isn't he?" she said sarcastically, causing the woman to chuckle slightly.

"That he is," Kathryn sighed in a resigned manner as she made to follow him.

However, before she did, she paused, and Jenny's heart thudded wildly as she saw her green eyes rest on the mobile phone on the floor. Then, she looked back up at Jenny, rasing her eyebrows ruefully.

"Please don't say anything," Jenny mouthed to her, clasping her hands in a pleading gesture.

After a moments hesitation, the girl nodded slightly, biting her lip nervously as she withdrew herself from the room.

As soon as the door shut behind her, Jenny scurried over and picked up the mobile. It looked a little different to any phone she had used before, but as she fiddled with it, it seemed to be of the same basic design as the ones today, and more importantly, it could text. She didn't have much time, so she made the message as brief and as clear as possible.

_Nick, on St. Andrews Street, need u 2 cum n wait 4 me on the corner asap. Found way out. Giv me 2hrs. Dnt txt this numba bac n dnt cum in the house. Jenny._

She quickly sent it to Nick's mobile, and went back and deleted the message from the outbox incase Ben checked when he found the phone. Footsteps could be heard coming back up the stairs, and panicking, Jenny flung the mobile to the corner where he had previously been sitting and sat back on the bed, arranging her face into what she hoped was an unreadable expression. The door opened and Ben came in again.

"Listen, this is going to take a while, so you might as well get some sleep," he said curtly. "And before you think about breaking out, the windows are locked and I'm leaving a guard at your door."

"Okay," Jenny nodded immediately, before realising her sudden co-operation might seem a tad suspicious.

"Okay - good," he said, looking slightly puzzled as he made to leave. However, just like Kathryn, before he did so, the mobile on the floor must have caught his eye. Suddenly, he strode back and scooped it up, holding it up to Jenny. "Did you use my phone?" he demanded in a stern tone.

"No, of course not, I didn't even know it was there," Jenny lied quickly, looking up at him with an innocent expression. "You must have dropped it."

"You're lying," he stated, watching her with his jaw set.

"Am I?"

"Don't mess me around Jenny, who did you contact?" he commanded, obvious anger bubbling under the surface.

"Oh, so it's 'Jenny' now is it?" she laughed in an attempt to cover up her guilt. "What happened to 'mum'?"

"You're not listening to me - who did you contact?"

"No-one!" she exclaimed, ensuring that her voice was seeped in a hurt 'I-can't-believe-you'd-think-I'd-do that' tone. "I didn't even see it there. I wish I had, but I didn't. Happy?"

"Ecstatic," he seeped sarcastically. "Now go to sleep. Hopefully in slumber, you're not this much trouble."

"Yes _Sir_," she said with venom, putting particular emphasis on the last word.

He shot her a glare before turning and marching back out of the room again, slamming the door shut behind him so hard that it made her wince.

_Now for the hard part,_ she thought to herself with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

* * *

London was almost completely deserted, with the exception of a few straggling cars that roared past, not stopping for anything in their hurry to get away. And Cutter didn't blame them, not after the story Lester and the Minister, whoever he was, had cooked up involving an uncovered terrorist plot about the decimation of the city.

He and Becker were slipping and sliding their way down a steep embankment, torches held high, stumbling every now and then when their boots stuck in the mud. The ARC had intercepted an emergency call a while ago about a car going over the bridge and landing in the watery depths below - a car that's description matched Jenny's one down to the letter. However, to Cutter's intense relief, the caller had stated that the two people had escaped unharmed before he had hung up, saying he was going to check and see if they were alright. Nothing had been heard since, and Cutter didn't even know if the emergency services had been to check it out - they had an evacuation on their hands, and since they knew the passengers were out alive, they probably had more important things to worry about.

Darkness pressed up against them and the eery silence that was so unlike London made the hairs on his arm prickle. Trying desperately to keep his footing, he angled his torch light to the ground, the better to see where to put his step. However, suddenly, his foot caught on something large and unseen in front of him, and the next thing he knew, he had a face full of mud as he smacked painfully to the squelching ground.

"You okay?" Becker asked, pausing and turning his torch on him.

"Aye," Cutter murmured bitterly, wiping dirt from around his mouth as he staggered to his feet.

He and Becker both searched the ground for what he had tripped on, and suddenly, unexpectedly, a horrific scene met their eyes. It was an old man, cold and stiff, with blood all over his mud-caked clothing, unmistakably dead.

"Jesus," Cutter said numbly as he and Becker crouched down carefully. "What happened here?"

"Two bullet wounds," Becker pointed out, gesturing with the light of his torch to a gapping hole in the poor man's chest and stomach. "He was shot at some distance, judging by the size of them."

"Oh god . . ." Cutter trailed off, his brain freezing as he jumped to the most obvious conclusion - that whoever had taken Jenny had shot this man down mercilessly, leaving his body here to rot, not even bothering to cover his tracks. Whoever did this was deranged. And he had his wife.

_That is_, a horribly realistic part of his brain chimed in, _if he hasn't killed her already too _. . .

"Cutter!" Becker's voice shouted from a short distance away.

Numbly, Cutter stumbled over to him, not quite able to get his legs working properly due to the terrible fear that something had happened to her. If it had, he would never _ever_ forgive himself.

"Look at this," the soldier continued when he reached them, directing his torch light to a patch of ground next to the lake.

Cutter squinted his eyes, not really sure of what he was supposed to be looking at. Then, he noticed that their were deep imprints in the mud, showing that this was probably the place Jenny and the man had scrambled out of the water.

"It looks like there's been a struggle," Becker observed, moving closer for inspection.

"Jesus," Cutter sighed again, raising his tired hand up to his forehead and rubbing it, trying desperately to block out the vile, unbidden images that his mind was forming.

"But there's two tracts leading away from here," Becker finished, straightening up and looking round at him. "So at least we know she got out of here alive."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Cutter snapped, rather unreasonably.

"Well it's better than finding her body here isn't it?" Becker retorted back. "At least we know she's still out there somewhere."

"No, we know she was alive when she left here," Cutter corrected him hotly. "But that was probably hours ago - he could have killed her by now."

"No," Becker argued, shaking his head. "If he wanted her dead, he would have done it sooner rather than later. Taking a hostage is difficult, especially one who's constantly trying to escape like Jenny's probably doing. No, there's a reason she's still alive. He wants her for something."

"Well that's not much better either!" Cutter exclaimed acidly.

He heard Becker sigh slightly, although it was so dark where they were that he couldn't see his face.

After a few moments of tense silence, the soldier cleared his throat. "We should get back to the ARC."

"No way," Cutter answered immediately. "I'm not going back until I find her."

"Cutter, the trail ends here!" Becker pointed out in an uncharacteristically aspirated tone. "There's nothing else we can do out here. But back at the ARC, we can intercept calls and keep an eye on any unusual activity. And she still might get in touch."

Cutter let out a disbelieving laugh. "You just want to get back so you can play military strategies."

"I care about Jenny too!" he snapped, for the first time sounding angry. "I want her found just as much as you do. But I'm being realistic. There's nothing else we can do without any more leads, and we're not going to find them out here."

Cutter scowled and looked away, his gaze falling on the gentle ripples of dark water to his right, his pain at thinking about her in danger preventing him from accepting that the man was right. However, as his panic steadied, he realised that the most they could do out here was get more cold, wet and muddy, which was neither going to help Jenny, nor the population of Britain if they couldn't contain the anomalies.

"Alright," he said stiffly to the soldier.

"Good man," Becker said, clapping him on the back.

They slowly made their way back up the slippery embankment towards the car. When they reached it, Cutter couldn't help but pause at the door, looking down the deserted street ahead of them, knowing that it was probably the route Jenny had been forced down.

"Christ Jenny, where the hell are you?" he breathed to himself.

Almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth, his mobile vibrated in his pocket, starling him slightly. Grumbling, he reached for it, assuming it was Lester calling, having kittens because they weren't back yet. However, it wasn't a call - it was a message from a number he didn't recognise. Bemused, he opened it, his eyes skimming it's contents.

He nearly dropped the phone in shock.

It was a text from Jenny, telling him where she was and when he was to meet her. He could have sunk to his knees with relief.

"Becker," he said sharply, tossing him the phone over the car bonnet.

The soldier caught it, and held it up to his eyes, frowning as he read it.

"And you're sure this isn't a trap?" he asked skeptically when he had finished.

Cutter shook his head immediately. "It's her - I know it is."

He expected Becker to argue some more about them not having time, or the possibility that it might be the kidnapper leading them into an ambush. But to Cutter's complete surprise -

"Right then, let's go," he sighed, dropping into the drivers seat.


	21. Any means necessary

**I've recieved some really lovely reviews lately, and I just had to say a quick thank you to CakeyxClickx, Kathryn Hart, Stephanieella96, sopheezmum, Squabble, Nathol99 and jojokidi for your kind words of encouragement that have helped me make a story out of what was originally only mean to be a one-shot. It's really nice to know you're all enjoying it, so thank youuuuuu :D**

**Just to let you know, I may not be able to be update for a few days due to bloody uni work and the like, but if I have a spare hour I'll try and fit a short chapter in :)**

**And so we continue . . .**

**

* * *

**

Chapter 21

Jenny paced around her new room anxiously, her gaze continually scanning, taking in everything crucial for her plan for the umpteenth time . . . glass of water . . . moisturiser bottle . . . mattress . . . locked window . . .

She was so nervous about what she had to do next, not only because it'd be difficult to pull off, but because of the repercussions if she were to be caught. She was unsure of how long Ben was going to be occupied, and there was also the chance that the guard outside her door was one of the good guys . . . but it was her only option.

Mind made up, she took a deep steadying breath to calm herself, before reaching into the pocket of the skirt Kathryn had given her and retrieving the strong sleeping pills she had spat out before and transferred over when she had changed, knowing they were likely to come in useful at some point. She placed them on the bedside table, and using the blunt end of the cream bottle, she began to carefully crush them into powder form. When she was satisfied that it was as fine a powder as she could make it, she scooped it all into the palm of her hand and before she could change her mind, she threw it into the water that she had asked the guard for not long ago. Hand shaking, she picked up the glass and swirled the contents round until most of the powder had dissolved, leaving the water looking as pure as it had been previously. Then, straightening out her black skirt and top, she walked over to the door.

"Excuse me?" she shouted through it, but not loud enough that her voice would carry downstairs.

"What now?" the gruff voice asked back, sounding aspirated.

"I - I've got a bit of a problem," she said, her voice quivering with nerves.

With a sigh, the guard open the door and poked his head around. He was tall and built, with a mop of flaming red hair and pale freckled skin. "You've got to be the most high maintenance hostage in existence," he said in a bored voice. "What do you want?"

"The water you've given me tastes funny," she stated in her bossiest voice, hands on her hips. "I think you've drugged it."

"I - " he stammered, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. "I did no such thing!"

"Well I think you did, and unless you can prove otherwise, I'm going to tell B - Matt," she caught herself before she slipped up and called him 'Ben' instead. "And you remember what happened to the last man who tried to hurt me I assume?"

"I'm telling you - I didn't put anything in your drink!" he maintained hotly.

"Oh really?" she said, raising a doubtful eyebrow. "Well if it's so safe to drink then maybe you wouldn't mind having a taste of it yourself to prove it?"

"Fine," he stated, rolling his eyes as he picked up the glass. "Cheers," he added, raising it up to her before downing it in one go. "There," he said triumphantly, smacking his lips together. "All gone, and would you believe it - I'm still here!"

"Okay, fine, I believe you," she stated as a wave of satisfaction flooded her stomach. "Can't be too careful though, can you?" she added, flashing him her most disarming smile.

"I - I suppose not," he sniffed uncertainly, putting the empty glass down and turning to back out of the room.

"Wait," she said quickly, resting her arm on his, stopping him in his tracks. "Stay a moment."

"I - " he stuttered, clearly caught off guard. "I'm not supposed to be with you . . ."

"Matt said you're not allowed to touch me," she reminded him as she hoisted herself up on the table and crossed her legs, leaning her arms back on it casually so that her chest was pushed out. "He didn't say anything about keeping me company. And if he does get mad, I'll just tell him it was all my idea."

"I'm not really the talking kind Miss," the man said, his eyes lingering in her legs.

"Oh? Is that so?" she smiled, reaching up and brushing her fringe out of her eyes.

"Yes, I'm more of a . . . physical being . . ."

"Really?" she said, trying to keep her expression seductive whilst all the time, she was counting the minutes. "Care to show me what that's like?"

His smirk faltered slightly. "I can't," he said bitterly. "The boss had made it perfectly clear that you're his."

"I'll let you in on a little secret," she whispered, leaning forwards slightly. "I don't belong to anyone."

"Just the same," he replied, looking down at his feet. "I'd rather not risk being killed for a quick fumble."

"Who said anything about it being a quick fumble?" she said, catching and holding his gaze. He should have started showing signs of drowsiness by now . . .

"Look, you're a really beautiful woman, and I really _really_ want to, but the boss will go nuts if he found out . . ." the man trailed off, looking torn.

"He's not going to find out though is he?" she interrupted brightly, knowing she nearly had him. "He's not going to be back up for hours yet, and lets face it - it _is_ rather unfair of him not to let you boys have any fun whilst you're here," she added in a false-pitying voice, echoing the men's complaints from earlier.

"Well . . ." he began again, his gaze traveling over her.

She made eye contact with him again and blinked, and saw him blush slightly. She smiled, feeling a pulse of triumph - big eyes always did the trick.

After a slight hesitation, he closed the space between them and quickly pulled her face so that her lips met his. She kissed him back, feeling nauseous, fighting back the urge to gag as he parted her legs and ran both his hands up her thighs. She had to keep repeating the same sentence over and over again in her head to keep herself from slapping him - _any means necessary . . . any means necessary . . . _She was desperate to act now, but if she spooked him too soon, he'd alert the whole house. She needed to wait until he showed signs of the drugs working . . .

He broke away from her and ran his hands softly up her side, pulling her top off, and - jumping on the opportunity to stop kissing him - she made slow work of stripping off his jacket and his shirt. As she did so, her hand brush against what was unmistakably a gun tucked into his belt, and she made a mental note of its exact position as he kissed her up neck and smoothed his hands over her stomach. Suddenly, he stopped and gritted his teeth against her shoulder, clutching her hips as though for support as he swayed slightly.

"Everything okay?" she asked innocently, anticipation flowing through her.

"I just feel a bit . . ." he trailed off, before shaking his head. "Nothing," he finished, taking her lips again.

As she kissed him back, her hand felt its way down his chest and back down to his belt, knowing that it was now or never - she couldn't risk being unarmed when the full effects of the drugs hit him, least he call for help. With the pretense of undoing his buckle, she allowed her hand to brush up against the cold metal again. She braced herself, knowing this could all go horribly wrong . . .

She pulled it out and as quick as a flash, she pressed it right up against his chest.

"Make one noise, and I won't hesitate to put a bullet right in your heart," she whispered dangerously, heart pounding.

"Alright," he said immediately, his eyes wide with fear as he raised his hands up to indicate his complete co-operation. "Okay . . ."

"Now back off," she ordered, and slowly, he retreated a few steps.

She hopped off the dresser, using the back of her other hand to wipe her mouth as though she could erase the memory of his lips on hers. However, she ensured she kept the gun pointed directly at him. Originally, she had half-intended to kill him and have done with it, but now that she was facing doing it, she found herself unable to. Still, it did comfort her slightly that no matter how much of a dire situation she was in, she still couldn't bring herself to be a cold-blooded killer like the person she had given birth to. She still had some morals.

"Look - " the guard began, but he stopped and squeezed his eyes shut, inhaling sharply as he staggered, clearly disorientated. "What have you done to me?" he murmured groggily.

"I've drugged you," she replied coldly. "I'm no medic, but I'm betting you've got about a minute before you pass out completely. It'll be easier if you don't fight it."

Gritting his teeth, he sunk to the floor, obviously struggling to stay conscious. Eventually, he passed out completely, his head smacking to the floor hard. Jenny waited a moment, gun still aimed at him, unwilling to move until she was certain he was really out for the count. It was only when a slow rhythmic breathing filled the room that she became convinced he wasn't getting up any time soon, and she breathed a sigh of relief before she picked her top up from the floor and hurriedly pulled it back on.

Now for phase two.

She crouched down next to the guards unconscious form and turned him over onto his back, making it easier to search him for keys that he was sure to have. At long last, a quiet jangling sound came from his pants pocket that she had brushed up against, and frantically, she fished inside it, pulling out a rather large set of keys. She glanced up at the window again, noting that its lock was a rustic-looking brass colour, indicating that the key was likely to look the same. Panicking about the amount of time this was taking, she fumbled with them all, checking each one briefly before moving one the next. It was slow work, but eventually, she pulled a brass coloured key up to her eyes . . . yes, that looked like the one. Straightening up, heart pounding with fear and anticipation, she hurried over to the window and tried it, in her haste, missing the lock a few times before managing to push it in. She turned it, and mercifully, it clicked. Relief flooding through her as she turned the handle and pushed it open as far as it would go so that it swung outwards on its hinges, big enough for her to fit out of, and more importantly, big enough for the mattress to be pushed out of.

But how to lift the bloody thing was the next big problem . . .

She turned and, without hesitating, began ripping the sheets off the bed, freeing the mattress. Knowing this was going to be difficult, she grabbed it from underneath and above, clamping it in her grip and pulling it. It barely moved an inch - it was a large double mattress, and it was too heavy for her to pull herself.

Heart sinking, she stepped back and surveyed it again, trying to squash the panic that had risen in her like bile. _Keep calm, _she though to herself firmly. _There's a way to solve this . . ._

But she could think of nothing, short of trying to rouse the guard and get him to help her with the threat of a gun to the head. But as that seemed impossible, not to mention suicidal, she decided her best bet was to try pushing it instead, reasoning that it would be easier to do than trying to pull it. She rounded the bed, and after a taking a deep breath to summon her strength, she pushed her shoulder up against it, and smiled to herself when she felt it slid a considerable distance. Nearly there . . .

The tricky bit was trying to stand it on its side so that she could push it out of the window, but she managed it eventually, and before she knew it, she was watching as it flopped down into the front garden and thudded heavily to the grass.

Panting heavily with the exertion that had cost her, she glanced back at the door, sincerely hoping that no one had heard that sound downstairs, but very much doubting that was the case. Still, there was no point in dwelling on it - she just needed to get out quick. Shivering slightly as the cold air washed over her, she heaved herself up on the windowsill, and crouched cat-like next to the open window, looking out at the mattress on the ground, trying to gage the angle at which she should fall . . . now that she was staring downwards, it looked like a long way to fall . . .

Unexpectedly, the door opened from behind, startling her. She turned sharply, her heart jumping to her throat as she aimed the guards gun at who ever it was, ready to shoot.

With a terrible jolt of fear, she saw that it was Ben.

His eyes scanned the room, taking in the full scene of the guard slumped unconscious and topless on the floor, and the bed with no mattress, before finally resting on Jenny. His mouth fell open slightly, but he quickly recovered himself and pulled out a gun, aiming it at her.

Stalemate.

"I'm impressed," he stated icily, half-glancing at his sleeping guard. "But isn't it the parent that's supposed to walk in and find the child sneaking out the window late at night?"

"Well, I'm a rather unconventional mother," she retorted sarcastically, not taking her eyes off his weapon.

"Clearly," he chuckled coolly. "Now come down from there this second, and we'll forget any of this ever happened."

She tilted her head to the side and lowered her gun slowly, knowing that no matter what the man had done, she could never bring herself kill him. He was her son after all. And unless she was very much mistaken, as messed up as he was, he wouldn't be able to harm her either.

"Are you really going to shoot me Ben?" she asked in a forced-sweet voice.

He stared at her coldly . . . emotionlessly . . . the gun still poised, his finger on the trigger, ready to pull it. However, after moments of agonising silence, he lowered his weapon also.

"That's what I thought," she stated in a voice more confident than she felt, and after a few strained seconds, she turned her back on him and, without thinking about it any further, she jumped, aiming for the mattress.

She landed ungracefully but unharmed, and wasted no time in scrambling to her feet and taking off down the driveway. However, as she ran, she was unable to stop herself glancing back round at him. He had hurried over to the window and was watching her, a resigned and slightly stung look on his face.

"JENNY!" Nick's voice cut into the silence, making her head snap round.

"NICK!" she shouted back, her voice cracking with emotion as she reached the street.

The darkness was intense; for reasons that she couldn't bring herself to be bothered about at the time being, the street lamps were off, plunging the road into blackness. Her gaze frantically searched down the street, desperately trying to spot Nick, but her eyes were having a hard time adjusting to her new surroundings after the intense bright lights of the house -

Something tapped her on her shoulder blade, and with a yelp of shock, she turned and aimed the gun fiercely at who ever it was.

"Jenny, it's me!" Nick's voice stated, sounding taken aback. "You're okay, you're safe."

With a cry of relief, she let the gun fall to her side and he hurriedly pulled her into him, holding her close against his chest in a one-armed embrace.

"Thank god," he sighed deeply, kissing her tousled hair and squeezing her shoulders.

Jenny clutched at his shirt, unable to allow herself to believe that it was him, but at the same time, knowing his smell and touch so well. As the adrenaline rush left her completely, she was struck with sudden mind-whirling dizziness, and she felt her knees buckle, all the tiredness of being awake for over forty hours catching up with her all in one go.

"Shit," Nick murmured, catching her round the waist before she hit the floor.

"Where have you been?" Becker demanded, crouching down also. She hadn't even registered his presence until that moment. "Which house are they in?"

"No . . ." Jenny tried to answer, but she couldn't seem to get her voice to work. "We can't beat them . . . we have to go . . ."

"I can handle it, now where are they?" Becker pushed.

"_No_ . . ." she repeated firmly, aware that she was shaking uncontrollably.

"Becker, lets just get her back to the ARC and we'll worry about them later," Nick interrupted sternly, pulling Jenny's arm over his shoulders and gently helping her to her feet.


	22. The meeting

Chapter 22

"What?" Abby gapped as Jenny took another shot of Nick's whiskey that she had been given to calm her nerves. "Your son is the kidnapper? That's - that's not possible . . ."

Jenny slammed the glass down on the table, looking up at her with slightly smudged eyes. "Really?"

"Little Ben?" Sarah interjected, frowning as she slid into the seat next to Jenny. "No - he could never turn into something like that."

"Well he does," Jenny replied, staring down at the table blankly, too numb to even cry. "And he ain't so little anymore."

The ride back to the ARC had past her in a blur as her mind had gone over every little detail of her encounter with her fully grown son. Nick had tried to ask her questions about what had happened, but she didn't reply - she _couldn't_ reply - not when she knew she'd have to relive it all again as soon as she was with the rest of the team anyway. She knew that she should really tell Nick first, in private, to prepare him for the shock, but quite frankly, she was having a hard time remaining conscious without the effort of explaining the ordeal twice. And in any case - how do you tell a man that he's fathered a monster?

So she had waited until the whole team were gathered together, and she began to explain as best she could, about everything that had happened since he had first threatened her with the gun in the interrogation room. She didn't know whether it was her suppressed maternal streak or not, but for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to bad-mouth Ben more than was really necessary. She had no loyalties to him of course, but it just seemed wrong. She tried not to look up at Nick as she told the story, but she could sense that he was listening intently as he stood next to her - she could practically feel the waves of shock radiating off him as she spoke in an empty voice.

After she had finished explaining how she had escaped - sans the part about her necking with the guard of course, as she didn't think Nick would be thrilled about that particular part - the team stood in a subdued silence for a few moments, everyone seemingly too stunned to speak.

"You said this . . . this Matt," Lester began eventually, clearly using Ben's false name to depersonalise the situation, making it easier for everyone to do their job. "He informed you that our Locking Mechanism won't work?"

Jenny nodded, looking up at him with tired eyes. "Yes, he said it didn't have enough power behind it."

"But he has one that works?" he pushed, his uncharacteristically gentle tone not quite hiding his tenseness.

Again, Jenny nodded.

"And he's planning on gassing us all?"

"No, he's planning on gassing the creatures that come through before the anomalies are closed," Jenny corrected him, feeling a tiny pulse of protectiveness that she immediately found herself feeling disgusted at.

"But that, in essence, will mean gassing us too," Becker added, looking solemn.

"I suppose," Jenny murmured reluctantly, feeling so overwhelmingly tired that she couldn't summon the strength to take any further part in the discussion, but doubting whether the grilling would let up any time soon.

However, surprisingly -

"Go and get some sleep Jenny," Lester said, surveying her with mild-concern. "You've told us everything you can."

"No, m'alright," she lied immediately. "I can stay up."

"You need to rest," he argued sternly. "Tomorrow's our last day to prepare, and I need everyone at their best - and that includes you." He glanced around at Nick, who had remained silent throughout the entire conversation, looking incredibly drawn and pale. "Take her to bed."

Nick nodded in appreciation, and immediately put his arm around Jenny's waist. "Come on," he said in a gentle tone.

Unable to protest any further, she stood and allowed herself to be escorted out of the main room and down to one of the double bedrooms. Nick's arm stayed around her, steadying her as she staggered with exhaustion. She half-considered pushing him away and arguing that she could walk by herself, but after the day she'd had, it felt nice to know that he was there for her. He lowered her down onto the bed, and she fought with every instinct she had not to give in to her tiredness and lie down. There were a few things she still needed to get off her chest, and he was the only person with whom she'd confide in.

"He hates me Nick," she whispered, looking up at him, her eyes stinging with the effort it was costing her not to cry.

He crouched down in front of her, his expression a mixture of sympathy and shock as he took her hands in his. Thankfully, he didn't try and convince her that he was sure she'd misread the situation, and that everything was going to be fine. He clearly knew her well enough to know that wouldn't comfort her, and that aside, he knew what a good judge of character she was, and obviously was wise enough not to challenge her.

"Why?" he asked in a soothing tone. "What does he think you've done?"

"I - " she began, but her tired brain managed to set off an alarm bell in her head, stopping her before she made a huge mistake. She couldn't tell him the reason why Ben hates her. She wanted to, but she couldn't because that would mean explaining about his predictions of her death on day zero, and she knew, without question, that Nick would refuse to let her go out there point blank if she told him. And she needed to be out there. It wasn't in her to let the people she cared about walk directly into danger without her.

"It was just a feeling I got, that's all," she lied, everting her eyes from his so she couldn't see that she was being untruthful. "Well, that, and the fact that he kidnapped me at gunpoint."

"I'll kill him if I ever see him," he said bitterly, squeezing her hands. "I don't care what sort of world he grew up it - it still doesn't excuse what he did to you - "

"He's our son Nick!" she exclaimed, taken aback by his aggressiveness. "And nothing he's done, or going to do will change that."

"Jenny . . . he's evil - "

"No, he's not evil!" Jenny insisted, not quite knowing why she was arguing his case, but feeling the need to anyway. "He stopped one of his men from attacking me. There's some good in him - I know there is."

"Why are you so adamant to defend him?" Nick asked with a frown.

"Because - " she began, but her voice cracked and she dropped her gaze down to the floor as the tears that had been threatening to come for a long while finally claimed her.

He reached forward and took her face gently in his cupped hands, forcing her to look directly into his calming blue eyes. "Listen to me," he said firmly, his thumbs wiping the wetness away from under her eyes. "That man is not our son. He's not _our_ Ben. He's just a possibility of what Ben might turn out like _if_ we fail in containing the anomalies. And now, thanks to what he told you, that's not going to happen. Okay?"

She bit her lip slightly, knowing that he had a point, but at the same time, unable to shake off the terrible emptiness that had opened up in her stomach. "Okay," she breathed eventually.

He offered her a weak smile, before tilting her chin up, pressing his lips to hers slightly in a tender gesture that she wasn't sure was appropriate since the separation, but couldn't seem to stop herself from allowing.

"Get some sleep," he said softly as he straightened up. "I'll come and check on you in a little while."

She nodded without really taking in what he said and lowered herself down onto the bed. She was asleep before her head had even hit the pillow.

* * *

Cutter waited a few moments until he was sure that Jenny was in a deep sleep before he gently lifted her legs onto the bed and draped the heavy blanket over her. With a sigh, he perched lightly next to her, resting his hand on her hip as he watched her, sleeping soundly. A ghost of a smile flickered across his lips as the sight brought back the countless beautiful memories he had of waking up next to her each day.

x x x

_Cutter's eyes opened suddenly as he felt Jenny turn onto her back next to him with a groan. He looked round at her, feeling the familiar fluttering sensation in his stomach that he had long grown accustom to since they had started dating. No matter how much time passed, and no matter how long they had been together, one look from her could make him feel twenty-one again. He reached forward and pushed a silky strand of her hair back from her forehead, suppressing a laugh_ _as he marveled how such a beautiful woman could sleep like the dead._ _Unable to resist, he leaned forward and brushed his lips against her exposed neck. She sighed in a contented manner and tilted her head back, clearly more awake than he had assumed, and she clumsily stroked her hand back through his hair as he continued to plant a trail of soft kisses upwards, until he reached her lips. He felt her smile as he kissed her, although she stubbornly refused to open her eyes._

"_Morning," she exhaled with playful sleepiness, reaching her arms up against the headboard and stretching._

"_Morning," he smiled, pecking her on the nose, causing her to scrunch up her face. "You planning on opening your eyes at any point?"_

"_That depends - what time is it?"_

_He glanced round at their bedside clock. "It's half six."_

_She let out a small cackle. "Um, then no - I think I'll keep them shut thanks."_

"_Lazy."_

"_If you're expecting a booty call at half six on a Saturday morning Nick Cutter, then you can get lost,' she informed him, although her stern tone didn't quite hide the warmth in her voice. "And if you keep this up every weekend, you're banned from staying over." _

"_You wouldn't do that," he guessed with a smile as he let his finger trace lazy lines on the creamy skin of her arm. _

"_Try me," she stated with a suppressed smile. _

"_Okay," he said simply, before rolling on top of her, causing her to shriek._

"_Get off me you idiot!" she laughed, making a feeble attempt at pushing him off._

"_I'll will as soon as you open your eyes."_

_She sighed in playful reassignment and, with difficulty it seemed, her eyes fluttered opened, her gaze meeting his. "Better?"_

"_Tonnes," he smirked, leaning down for another kiss, and despite her previous convictions, she made no attempt to push him away again . . ._

_Her mobile buzzed, and she immediately wrenched her lips away from his and groped on the bedside table to answer it._

"_Leave it," he sighed with disappointment as she casually flipped the phone up to her ear._

_She rolled her eyes at him, before speaking in her forced polite telephone voice, "Hello?"_

"_Just tell whoever it is to piss off - " _

"_James," she interrupted, widening her eyes at Cutter in warning before continuing talking into the mouthpiece. "What is it?"_

"_Anomaly alert," Lester's bored-sounding voice drawled out of the mobile._

_Cutter ignored the conversation, and instead focused on the more interesting and supremely satisfying task of kissing down her collar bone._

_She giggled slightly, before putting her hand over the mouthpiece. "Stop it!" she mouthed at him, pushing his head away, "No, I'm still here James . . . " _

_Smiling, he reached down and ran his hand across her stomach, deliberately moaning softly in her other ear, nibbling her earlobe, causing her to stutter her words as she spoke down the phone._

"_Um, yes . . . we'll meet them . . . what? . . . no, I'm just a bit . . . distracted . . ." _

_Unmistakably clear, Cutter caught the man's last snipping sentence, "When Cutter's quite finished man-handling you, I need you both there. Now Jenny."_

"_Of course - bye," Jenny said, flushing bright red as she closed the mobile with a snap. "You are so dead!" she hissed at Cutter, smacking him in the shoulder. _

"_Shut up, you loved it," he grinned._

"_He thinks we're bloody nymphomaniacs now! I won't be able to look him in the eye!"_

"_Well you didn't have to start moaning down the phone to him, did you?" he pointed out, raising a teasing eyebrow._

"_I was not moaning down the phone!" she protested hotly. _

_Chuckling, he daringly planted a quick kiss on her forehead before getting out of bed. "You are so cute when you're angry."_

"_Well then I'm about to get adorable!" she retorted, mirroring him by flinging her legs off the bed also. "What am I meant to say to him now?"_

"_How about - 'Lester, just because you're not lucky enough to be getting any doesn't mean we all aren't'-" _

"_You're not funny!" she exclaimed as she hopped into her pants._

x x x

Cutter chuckled fondly at the memory as he reached down and pushed a stray piece of hair back behind her ear in much the same way he had done that morning all those years ago. She looked as beautiful as she had done back then, although her present appearance made his blood bubble with fury. She looked like she had been roughed up; her hair was tousled, her arms bruised, and there was a clear mark across her cheekbone that looked as though she'd received a slap of someone. But that wasn't the worst thing about it all; no, that was the pain that was evident behind her dark eyes, as though something inside her had died.

And that . . . _man_ . . . had caused it.

Mind made up, he quietly left the room, closing the door softly behind him so as not to wake her. Then, before he could talk himself out of it, he marched back to the main room, and directly up to Lester, who was talking to Becker in a hushed voice by the detector.

As he approached, Lester looked around. "Ah, Cutter - "

"I want him found, do you hear?" Cutter ordered sternly. "He can't be allowed to roam free after what he's done, especially seeing as he's got access to lethal gas - "

"Yes Cutter, as usual, thank you for stating the bloody obvious," Lester sniped sarcastically. "Of course we can't let him go, but I thought you'd take a bit of persuasion. After all - "

"After all nothing," Cutter finished his sentence for him, turning his attention to Becker. "You still remember how to get to the house?"

"Yes," Becker confirmed.

"Right then, I don't see the problem," Cutter shrugged, trying to keep an emotional detachment.

"Indeed," Lester stated, before addressing Becker. "Take as many men as you can, and bring them all back here - alive is preferable, but dead if you've no other choice. We can keep them locked in the cells downstairs until this is all over."

"And their anomaly locking mechanism - you need to bring that back too," Cutter added firmly.

"Hang on," Abby's voice interjected from behind them; she had clearly overheard the conversation. "Does Jenny know about this?"

"No, she's asleep. And she doesn't need to know," Cutter replied in a colder tone than was necessary - after all, it wasn't really Abby he was mad at.

Abby looked in disbelief from one face to the other. "But surely she should at least be consulted - ?"

"Surprisingly, Miss Maitland, there are much bigger things at stake here than being unfair," Lester snapped sarcastically. "The boy - man - hasn't given us any choice. And as he's neglected to give any reguard to our safety, I say we extend him the same curtsey."

* * *

Jenny woke up suddenly with a slight gasp, not knowing where she was or how she had gotten there. Her eyes took in the generic white ceiling and she smelled the sterilised odour before she eventually reaslised that she was safe and sound in one of the ARC bedrooms. Calming slightly, she shut her eyes again, wishing she hadn't woken at all because being conscious meant that she had to deal with thinking about everything.

She could hear two people talking in soft but tense voices, although she couldn't take in any of the conversation. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes again, and spotted Abby and Sarah, apparently in the midst of a heated discussion in the corner.

"What's the matter?" she asked in a croaky voice as she hoisted herself up on her elbows.

They both looked around, hitching identical fake smiles onto their faces.

"Nothing," Abby answered in a tone that was a little bit too cheery to be believable. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel fine," she replied impatiently as she sat up, narrowing her eyes as she studied their guilty-looking faces. "What's happened?"

They exchanged a fleeting worried-looking glance between them, making her feel even more panicked - what had she missed?

"Well someone please tell me what is going on?" she snapped, looking from one to the other. "Is it Nick?"

Abby sat on the bed next to her, fixing her with a grim look. "There's something you should know . . ."

* * *

"How dare you!" Jenny's voice yelled, causing Cutter and Lester's head to snap around.

She was marching over to them, her eyes flashing dangerously, looking utterly livid. Abby and Sarah were following her, looking throughly harassed. Clearly, they had told her that Cutter had given his permission for Ben's - or Matt's as Cutter made his brain think instead - capture.

"Jenny - "

"Why didn't you tell me first?" she demanded, her angry expression not adequately hiding the hurt and betrayal she clearly felt.

"I thought it'd be easier this way," Cutter tried to explain, determined not to let himself feel guilty about it. "It's for the best."

"That was for us to decide together!" she gapped.

"Actually no, it was for me to decide," Lester interjected in a calm tone. "And for once - and I can't believe I'm actually saying this - I'm in full agreement with Cutter. He's a dangerous man, and we need his technology. End of story."

"It is _not_ end of story - " she began hotly, but was cut off by the door opening behind them.

They all turned as a group of soldiers strode in, looking bruised and battered, but triumphant as they marched their captures in. At the front, Becker was holding a struggling young man, who had his hands bound behind his back. Cutter's stomach clenched uncomfortably as he noticed the man looked remarkably familiar. He knew immediately that it was him, but he was quite taken aback to see that although young three-year-old Ben looked like Cutter, fully grown Ben resembled Jenny more so.

"What have you done?" Jenny breathed at his side, shaking her head at Cutter.

"And there he is," the young man sneered to Cutter in a cold, emotionless voice as Becker stopped in from of them, holding the man tight. "What's the matter dad? Not happy to see me?"

Cutter took a moment to look at him - to _really_ look at him. Yes, there were those blue eyes his son had inherited from him, although they were not alive and shining with happiness as little Ben's were - they were cool and dead-looking, giving him the air of someone who had seen some horrific things in his short life. Immediately, Cutter squashed the small quiver of paternal instinct that threatened to flare up inside him, reminding himself that this wasn't his son. He _wasn't_. He was a murderer. And he had nearly gotten Jenny killed.

The man turned his cool eyes on Jenny, shaking his head and tutting, an amused smile on his lips. "Just when I thought we could be friends."

"Don't you talk to her!" Cutter barked immediately, feeling a pulse of anger.

"Oh, and he speaks!" Ben exclaimed with a cold laugh, turning his attention back to Cutter. "Why, what are you going to do to me if I talk to her?"

Before he could stop himself, the anger exploded in the pit of Cutter's stomach and he punched him, causing him to stagger backwards into Becker.

"Nick!" Jenny gasped from beside him, clamping her hands to her mouth.

Ben straightened up, laughing as though he found the whole situation funny. "Why don't you make it hurt next time old man?"

Cutter knew he was just doing it to taunt him, but he was damn good at knowing how to push his buttons. He saw red, and punched him again, hard. Blood burst from his nose and he fell backwards onto the ground.

"NICK!" Jenny yelled, pushing him in the chest hard so that he moved backwards a few paces. "Stop it!"

"Oh, the joys of family," Lester interjected, his voice seeped in sarcasm. He was watching the scene unfold with mild-interest, his arms folded tightly. He glanced round at Becker. "Take them down," he ordered with a sigh. "Separate cells I think - we don't want a Shawshank situation on our hands."

Becker nodded and pulled Ben to his feet roughly, gesturing to his men to follow with their captures.

Jenny looked round at Cutter, her eyes wide with fury, literally shaking head to toe. "You're no better than he is," she whispered, looking hurt and confused as she turned her back on him.

"Jenny - " he began in an apologetic voice, reaching forward and grabbing her arm.

"Get - off - me!" she snarled, wrenching herself away and shoving him hard in the chest.

She shot him a dirty look before storming off in the direction Becker had taken the prisoners.

A dense silence followed as everyone in the room stood awkwardly, not knowing what to do next. Abby and Sarah were giving Cutter a look that clearly said 'I told you so', but thankfully, they refrained from saying it.

Lester cleared his throat. "I think that went rather well, don't you?"


	23. In the cell

Chapter 23

Jenny had never been to the lower levels of the ARC before - she'd had no need to. After all, they had only ever had two human enemies, and they were Leek, who was dead, and the ever elusive Helen Cutter. They'd never had any need to hold people in the basement cells, and so Jenny had never had cause to visit them. Now, as she stepped cautiously down the steep, rickety stairs, she was rather thankful that she'd never been there before. The corridor was very creepy, making the hairs on her arms prickle despite the absence of cold. As she descended further, the atmosphere seemed to thicken considerably, and she struggled to inhale the dank, musty- smelling air. Pushing her uneasiness aside, she continued onwards in the direction of the muffled voices discernable ahead of her.

When she reached the end of the corridor that forked out into three separate directions, she took a right, following her ears more than her sense of direction. Eventually, she came across Becker and a handful of his men, all busying themselves by securing some of the dozen steel cell doors. A lot of banging and muffled shouts could be heard from the prisoners locked behind them. She ignored the funny looks she was getting off some of the soldiers and marched directly up to Becker.

"Which cell is he in?" she demanded.

Becker frowned slightly, half glancing round to the end of the corridor. "Jenny, I don't think that's such a good idea - "

"Which cell Becker?" she repeated sternly, hands on her hips.

He paused for a moment, his dark eyes showing no hint of what he might be thinking. Eventually, he nodded over to the end cell, which door had already been firmly closed.

"Unlock it," she said immediately, ensuring her tone conveyed that it was a command and not a request.

"No," he answered firmly.

"Please Becker," she said, forcing herself to be more polite. "I know we can't let him out, but I just want to talk to him."

Becker looked at her for a second, before fleetingly glancing up to his men. "Leave us," he said to them in a deep commanding voice, and they obeyed immediately, all turning and shuffling back down the corridor and out of sight. When they were alone, Becker glanced back down at Jenny. "And what will that achieve, except confusing you even more?"

"Please," she begged, more so because she didn't know how to answer that question. "Please Becker, just do me this one favour."

He sighed, before reluctantly reaching down and pulling out a set of keys from his pocket. "Well I think you're making a mistake. You're letting him control you."

Jenny shot him a stern look, but didn't reply, knowing that he was partly right.

He put the key in the cell door and turned it, so that it unlocked with a screech, and he pulled it open.

Ben was sitting in the corner of the tiny room, his legs drawn up and his arms relaxing casually on his knees. As he looked around, his expression showed no panic, or no anger - in fact, he looked rather amused at the whole thing. However, as Jenny stepped inside and made eye contact with him, unless she was very much mistaken, she could see a flicker of betrayal stir beyond their depths.

"Five minutes," Becker said firmly, before pushing the door shut behind her.

She leaned back against the cold steel, crossing her arms as she looked down at him, knowing that there was no need to try and fill the silence between them - he was sure to have a few things to say to her. And sure enough . . .

"Nice move mother," he said with a chuckle. "Didn't see that one coming. You're a lot colder than I thought - "

"I didn't know what they were planning on doing," she replied, trying to keep her voice cool and detached whilst at the same time determined to prove her innocence. "They did it behind my back."

"But if you would have known, you would have let them?" he asked, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"Yes, probably," she stated.

"Thanks very much," he laughed humuorlessly. "And you wonder why I've got issues."

"You were going to kill us," she pointed out in a forced-calm voice. "You needed to be stopped."

"And now, thanks to you, the future is as ruined as it ever was," he said in a resigned voice, his gaze leaving her face and settling on his hands. "My coming here was pointless."

"No," she conceded, her heart softening slightly. "We've got your Locking Mechanism."

He laughed again. "And how pissed off is your boss going to be when he finds out you can't work it," he said with a rye smile.

"I - what?" she asked, distracted. "What are you talking about?"

"It only responds to my finger prints," he informed her with a mock-disappointed sigh. "Too bad really, that you've locked me in here."

"Connor will figure out a way of doing it," she said in a false confident voice. "He hasn't failed yet."

"Perhaps," he shrugged, looking unconcerned. "But by the time he figures it out, you'll be up to your necks in creatures."

She leaned her head back on the door, watching him coldly. "Then maybe we'll torture you until you help us."

"You could try," he bit back, looking up at her.

She stared back at him in silence for a few moments, knowing that they both knew she wouldn't allow that to happen. God, she hated this. She felt like her hands were tied, and that her loyalties were torn between her team and her son. And she knew that was exactly what Ben wanted her to feel. She was no fool; she knew what game he was playing. But knowing it, and actually being able to fight against it were two separate things entirely.

Ben sniffed, and ran his hand under his nose, wiping away some of the remaining blood there. "I get the feeling your husband doesn't like me very much," he joked with a smile.

"Dad," she corrected him immediately. "Would it kill you to call him dad?"

He chuckled coolly and looked away, shaking his head in disbelief. "He's not my dad."

"Well unless you know something I don't?" she retorted sarcastically. "And if you will go around kidnapping peoples wives, what do you expect?" she continued, crouching down so that she was level with him. "A pat on the back?"

"Well maybe if you'd told him the reason I took you in the first place then he _would_ be giving me a pat on the back instead of a punch in the mouth," he retorted, catching her off guard.

"I - I don't want to worry him," she stammered, only being partly truthful.

He turned his gaze back to her, his blue eyes narrowed slightly. "Well if you don't tell him, I will."

"Oh yeah?" she laughed, trying to hide her nervousness at the threat. "And you think he'll believe anything you say?"

"I have little doubt," he replied. "After all, people are willing to believe it when someone tells them their worst fear is about to come true."

"Don't you dare - " Jenny began, but she stopped abruptly as something popped into her head. "Hang on a minute," she said slowly. "Where's Kathryn?"

He leaned his head back against the wall with a wide smile. "Kathryn who?" he said smugly.

"You know who I mean," Jenny snapped, narrowing her eyes. "I didn't see her when you all came in. Where is she?"

He leaned forward slightly. "I don't know who you're talking about," he whispered, a smile still tugging at his lips. "Are you sure you're not getting confused in your old age?"

"Excuse me!" she exclaimed indignantly. "I'm barely older than you at the moment you cheeky thing! And stop changing the bloody subject!"

"Jenny?" Becker's voice broke the tension in the room as he knocked on the door.

After shooting Ben a stern look, Jenny straightened up and turned to leave. Immediately, a hand on her arm stopped her and turned her back round to see that Ben had gotten to his feet, and his expression had changed from amused to strained.

"Mum," he said quietly, his eyes willing her to listen. "Please don't go out there tomorrow. If you never believe anything else I say, believe that. If you go, you'll die."

"So you'd rather have a mother who's a coward?"

"I'd rather have a mother who's alive," he corrected her in an urgent whisper. "Please, just don't go. Make some excuse up - "

"Jenny, I'm coming in," Becker's voice interrupted again, sounding slightly worried as he pulled open the door.

Immediately, Ben let go of her and dropped his arm to his side.

"Come on, times up," Becker continued, looking at Ben with distaste and mistrust as he put his hand on Jenny's lower back to lead her out of the cell.

"I'll be seeing you," Ben said, addressing Jenny as Becker made to close and lock the door behind them.

"Don't count on it," Becker snapped protectively before slamming the door shut.

As he and Jenny walked back to the main room in silence, she couldn't help but feeling that Becker had been right - it had been a mistake to go and see Ben. It was not just the fact that his cryptic words and enigmatic nature made her want to throttle him; it was that some part of her - a part that she was trying desperately to suppress - could see _her_ Ben in him. From the way he said certain words, to the look in his eyes that betrayed certain emotions he couldn't quite mask - he was her son all over. Undeniably. And no matter how much Nick said otherwise, it was a fact.

But Nick was also right about one thing - he was just a possibility of what Ben might turn out like. She could still change things so that he didn't turn out as screwed up as he was. She just needed to stay alive and stop the creatures from spreading, and then, maybe this whole nightmare would be over.

As they reached the main room, she found everyone gathered around a piece of machinery that she had never seen before, all inspecting it intently. She guessed it was Ben's Locking Mechanism, and immediately, she made a mental note that she had to tell Connor about Ben's predictions about it only working for him. As she walked up to them, Nick dropped his hand from the contraption and looked round at her apprehensively, as though expecting another screaming match.

Feeling herself warm towards him considerably as she remembered that he had only done what he had to do to protect them all, she made a point of going to stand next to him, trying to convey an apology for her outburst without the ignominy of having to say it. By the way he offered her a weak smile and rested his hand on her arm, he accepted her unspoken sorry.

"So," she began in a surprisingly steady voice, addressing the room. "Now what?"


	24. The blur

**Short chapter which I'd written a while ago but forgotten about, just to show you I haven't lost interest in the story. Updating might be a bit sporadic for a while due to personal issues sorry x**

Chapter 24

According to Connor, it was just as Ben said it would be. The Locking Mechanism wouldn't work for him, nor any one else. However, after hours of tinkering around with the thing, he came up with the half-hearted solution that he could transfer the power source of Ben's Locking Mechanism to his own, although he seemed unsure of whether it would actually work. Still, they all concluded, it was worth a try. Jenny liked the idea far better than Lester's suggestion that they should cut off Ben's hand to activate the Mechanism.

The day passed them all by in a blur of regimented procedures; of firearms training, of getting suited up, of meeting their team of soldiers and going over and over each and every detail of their positions and plans for the following day. In spite of everything, Jenny found herself desperate to go and see Ben in the cell again, but apart from the fact that she'd been completely forbidden by Lester, she knew that as hard as it was, she needed to keep herself focused, and not let him manipulate her any more. It was painful, and there wasn't a second of the day that she didn't think about him, but she knew it was for the best. Whatever that meant.

The whole time, Jenny had assumed Nick had been helping with the Locking Mechanism, but as evening fell, Jenny passed the room where he had set up everything, and found Connor quite alone, his brow furrowed in concentration as he fiddles with one wire or another.

"Where's Nick?" she asked, stopping and leaning against the doorframe.

"Hm?" he said, a distracted look in his eye as he rounded the machine again, his gaze not leaving it.

"You know, my husband? The farther of my child?" she added with a slight smile. "Ring any bells?"

"Oh right, yeah," he replied absently. "I haven't seen him in ages."

"What?" she said, surprised. "Well, what's he been doing all day then?"

He shrugged, squinting at two wires that were entwined together. "Your guess is as good as mine."

Confused, Jenny watched him work frantically for a few moments before straightening up and making her way towards Nick's office. She had been with training Abby, Sarah, Becker and the soldiers all day, and had assumed that Nick had been fulfilling his end of the bargain and was helping Connor. And if he hadn't been - where on earth was he?

Her thoughts were stopped as she passed the kitchen area of the ARC, and something caught the corner of her eye. She backed up slightly to get a better look, and with a jolt of surprise, she saw that Nick was slumped against the table, one hand supporting his head, the other clutched around a bottle of whiskey.

"What the hell are you doing?" Jenny gapped as she walked in.

He looked up at her, his blue eyes glazed as though he wasn't aware of anything that was going on.

"Nothing," he murmured, straightening up and reclining back in his chair.

"Nothing?" she repeated in disbelief, reaching forward and snatching up the alcohol. "What the hell is this?" she demanded, holding the bottle up.

"That, my love, is a bottle of whiskey," he stated drunkenly. "And that is where all my troubles are."

"Have you lost your mind?" she demanded, completely aghast. "Why are you getting drunk? Do you know what day it is tomorrow?"

"Aye," he slurred, looking down at the table with watery eyes. "Tomorrow is the day when everyone I've ever cared about will be out there risking their lives while I'm stuck here, doing nothing."

"You're supposed to be helping Connor with the Locking Mechanism!"

"He doesn't need my help here, and you guys don't need my help out there," he said quietly. "I'm completely useless to everyone."

"Oh, don't be so self deprecating," Jenny replied coldly, crossing her arms and looking him up and down.

"Why not?" he muttered, starring down at his hands. "My wife hates me - "

"I don't _hate_ you - "

"My son hates me," he continued, ignoring her interruption. "For something I haven't even done yet. What's the point?"

She placed the bottle down on the table, her heart softening slightly. "Nick, come on. I know this has all been horrible, but drinking your weight in whiskey isn't the answer."

"My son turns out evil," he continued, as though he hadn't taken in a word she'd said. "He turns into Helen, and it's all my fault."

His confession took Jenny by surprise slightly, as she hadn't even known that the arrival of their future son had affected him so. After all, wasn't he the one who said that the man locked downstairs wasn't their Ben?

"It's just as much my fault as it is yours," Jenny pointed out gently. "He's my son too."

He laughed humourlessly. "Oh, but he _loves_ his mummy, doesn't he? He tried to get you away from it all. He was going to gas me."

"Nick, he's a very disturbed man," she explained softly, heart thudding as she carefully tried to word it as though she didn't know what was supposed to happen in the future. "He doesn't know what he's doing - "

"We both know that's not true," he replied, his glazed eyes meeting hers. "He's a bloody genius, coming up with technology like that Locking Mechanism. He's thought through every single detail of his plan, and my death was part of it. What does that say about me as a parent?"

Jenny sighed heavily to herself and slipped into the seat next to him. "Do you not think that I'm feeling the exact same way as you are? Do you not think I'd love to just sit here and drink myself into oblivion as well?"

"I'm not stopping you - "

"But I can't," she continued, ignoring him. "Because we've got a job to do tomorrow, and drinking whiskey all night isn't going to help anyone."

"Well, like I said, I'm not helping anyone tomorrow am I?" he stated with a forced smile as he reached forward and picked up the bottle again. "Cheers," he added to her, putting it to his lips.

Sympathy rapidly dissipating into fury, Jenny grabbed the bottle off him and stood up, striding over to the sink and throwing it in so that the glass smashed into a dozen pieces and the brown liquid trickled off down the plug hole.

"Hey!" Nick yelled aggressively, standing up himself and staggering over to her. "What the hell did you do that for?" he demanded, his face red with anger.

"To snap you out of it!" she shouted back, shaking with indignance.

"It's none of your business if I chose to drink an entire brewery!" he bellowed, startling her slightly.

"Calm yourself down!" she snarled.

"Why? Being married to you should have driven me to the bottle by now anyway!"

Jenny laughed coldly, her blood pressure rising. "You know what Nick? Not being with you is becoming easier by the day."

"Yeah? Well the feeling's entirely mutual!" he yelled, taking a step towards her. "I'd forgotten how much of a nag you are!"

"And I'd forgotten how much of a bastard you are!" she exclaimed hotly, her temper threshold completely reached. "You sit here all night and drink yourself to death for all I care!"

"Fine, I will!"

"Good!" she shouted, pushing him away from her and storming out, blood boiling.


	25. Day zero

Chapter 25

As Cutter woke slowly, the first thing he became aware of was a sharp pain in his neck. As he became more alert, he realised that he was slumped across his desk in his office, head in his folded arms, and his stiff neck was at a very awkward angle. Carefully, he straightened up, wincing as a dull throbbing pain began to emanate from behind his eyes, making them water slightly. His mouth was parched, and his first thought was how he had gotten himself into this state.

Then, it all came rushing back to him, making him feel another pang of pain that wasn't associated with his physical well-being. He remembered trying to drown his emotions in a bottle of whiskey, and then being caught red-handed by Jenny. Then there was the screaming match.

_Oh god . . ._

He sat up, probably a little more quickly than was wise, and ignoring his back that screamed in agony, he hurried out of his office. As he passed a clock on the bland-white corridor wall, he vaguely registered that it was seven o'clock in the morning, but his brain was still sluggish as he walked slap-bang into a disgruntled-looking Lester.

"Cutter!" he snapped, brushing down his flawlessly ironed blazer. "Watch where you're going!"

"Sorry," Cutter mumbled absently. "I'm looking for Jenny. Have you seen her anywhere?"

"Yes, I saw her about an hour ago," he answered casually. "She's already left. They all have."

"WHAT?" Cutter gapped, feeling his stomach disappear. "Are you sure?"

"Well since I sent them out, I'm fairly certain yes," he answered sarcastically. "And shouldn't you be helping Connor? Remind me of what I'm paying you for - "

"I've got to speak to her," Cutter said, more to himself that Lester. "I've got to apologise . . ."

"Well I'm afraid that'll have to wait," Lester replied shortly. "You're staying here and helping with the Locking Mechanism. Connor told me before that it's nearly done, so the quicker you go and help him, the quicker this whole nightmare is over, and then you and Jenny can argue until the cows come home. Okay?"

"No, it's not okay - " Cutter began, panicking.

"End of discussion," Lester interrupted firmly.

* * *

It wasn't long after his frank and frustrating chat with Lester that Cutter found himself pacing next to Connor, who had his head buried out of sight under their almost completed Locking Mechanism. Unable to bring himself to be of much help, every few moments, Cutter glanced at the clock ticking along cheerfully on the wall, his stress mounting with each movement of the second hand. His thoughts were running away with him as images of what Jenny and the others would be facing in a short time kept surfacing. He couldn't concentrate . . . he could barely stand still . . . every single fibre of his being burned to go out there.

But, he reminded himself, he couldn't leave Connor alone with the burden of getting the Locking Mechanism finished before it was too late. It was their only hope, and it was unfair to leave the boy to handle it by himself.

"Can you hand me the Philips screwdriver Cutter?" Connor's muffled voice said, his hand gesturing in the vague direction of the toolbox.

Without a word, Cutter strode over and snatched it up, thrusting it into his waiting hand more roughly than intended.

"Thanks," Connor said brightly as he withdrew the screwdriver underneath the machine with him.

Cutter resumed his pacing again, running his hands back through his hair, his stomach churning with nerves.

"How much longer Connor?" he barked eventually, unable to contain his anxiousness.

"I dunno . . . a few hours maybe," the boy replied, sliding out from under the contraption and fixing him with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, but these things take time - "

"Jenny hasn't got time!" Cutter snapped, rather unreasonably.

"I'm doing the best I can!" Connor protested, looking stung. "If you're so worried about Jenny, then go and be out there with her."

"But . . ." Cutter began, his anger melting into concerned confusion. "But don't you need my help here?"

Connor chuckled slightly. "You're more of a hindrance here if I'm honest. Look just go, I'll be fine. I've got two soldiers waiting to help me get the Mechanism down there when it's done."

"But - "

"Go Professor," he interrupted, rolling his eyes. "And tell Jenny I said hi."

* * *

Jenny stood with an uncomfortable knot in her stomach as she surveyed what was now a completely deserted London from her high vantage point on the roof of a building that looked like it was student accommodation. Twenty or so soldiers stood behind her, all armed, all waiting for her command. She, however, had her gun held loosely at her side, knowing that they still had about an hour until the anomalies were due to appear. As she gazed downwards onto the empty street, a prickle of fear that she had been trying her best to suppress crept down her spine, forcing her to shiver involuntarily. She had tried to convince herself that Ben's predictions about her inevitable death today were wrong, but whenever she let her guard down, the shadow of doubt seemed to set in, paralysing her with fright. She was no coward of course - indeed she never had been. But when one is forced to face up to their own immortality, fear was unavoidable. The only thing she could do was keep batting it away, and regain her composure, for appearances sake more than anything else. She suspected that the soldiers she was now commanding were uncertain about being lead into battle by a woman, and she was determined to prove herself. Breaking down into terrified sobs wasn't an option. Still, one particular thought did keep washing over her, knocking the air out of her as though it was a gigantic tidal wave . . .

_What if the last words I got to say to Nick were those horrible, bitter words of last night?_

"Ma'am?" one of the soldier's voices brought her back to reality.

She looked around at him expectantly and saw that he had binoculars held to his eyes, the better to see in the washy dawn darkness. "Yes?"

"There's a car heading up the street," he informed her in a tense voice.

"What?" she gapped, feeling a pulse of panic. "But the entire city's evacuated. Is it a civilian?"

"I don't know," he replied slowly, squinting into the eyepieces. "Hang on . . ." he paused for a moment, as though working something out. "No, I think it's a government car."

"Are you sure? Everyone's already supposed to be in position?"

"Pretty sure Ma'am," he stated, still holding the binoculars up to his eyes. "They're getting out of the car now . . . it's a man by the looks of it . . . yes, he's coming in here . . ."

Jenny's brain froze for a moment as her first though was that it was Ben, having broken out of his cell somehow.

"Go and bring him to me," Jenny ordered immediately to two soldiers on her right.

They nodded in acknowledgment and took of without a word.

It was a few moments later that, to Jenny's complete and utter horror, they returned with a struggling Nick held in a vice grip between them. Immediately, all the soldier's gun's flew up, all aimed at Nick as though they thought him the enemy.

"What - what are you doing here?" she demanded, her surprise coming out as anger.

"You know him Ma'am?" the soldier who had held the binoculars asked, his gun raised suspiciously up at Nick.

"Yes," she replied in a forced-calm voice. "And will you kindly stop pointing gun's at my husband head."

Without hesitation, all of the soldiers lowered their weapons, and the two holding Nick tight released him.

"I couldn't leave things the way we did," he said, looking her directly in the eye, ignoring the soldiers.

Jenny half-glanced around at her men, feeling slightly embarrassed. "You're not supposed to be here," she stated eventually, surveying Nick coolly. "Return to your post."

"No," he replied, crossing his arms stubbornly. "I'm staying here."

"Now Nick," she commanded sternly, her panic for him to get back to safety coming out as emotional detachment.

"Do you want me to take him back Ma'am?" the soldier said from beside her.

"Look, I'm not going anywhere," Nick interrupted forcefully. "So you can either give me a gun to defend myself, or let me get mauled by all manners of prehistoric creatures. Your call," he finished looking directly at Jenny.

She surveyed him coldly for a moment, desperate for him to go back to the ARC, but knowing that he'd well and truly snookered her on the matter.

She turned to the binocular-carrying soldier. "Go and get him kited out," she said reluctantly.

"Ma'am," he nodded, before gesturing to Nick to follow him back off the roof and into the room where they had stored all their spare supplies.

_Damn it Nick,_ Jenny thought to herself as she turned back to watch the deserted streets of London.

* * *

When Nick returned a while later, he donned the same black jumpsuit the rest of them were wearing, his equipment belt around his hips, and a gun clasped in his hands.

"Satisfied?" she asked him coolly as he moved to stand next to her.

"Extremely," he replied simply.

"I'm in charge, do you understand?" she snapped, her hand on her hip. "I'll be the one giving the orders."

"Ma'am," he nodded with a small smile.

Unwillingly, she smiled back, aware that he was teasing her by being unnecessarily official, but before she could make another remark, one of the soldiers cleared his throat, gesturing down at his watch.

She checked her own watch, and saw that the man was indicating that it was eight-forty am.

Five minutes until the fault line was predicted to rupture.

"Right," she spoke aloud to the whole group in a forced-steady voice as she turned to face them all. "You all know why you're here. Our main goal is to contain any creatures that come through the anomalies. You all have several guns and extra ammunition, as well as tranquilizers and gas canisters. If possible, try and knock out the prehistoric creatures instead of using live rounds. However, if you have no other choice, kill them. You have all been briefed on what the future creatures look like - shoot them on sight without hesitation. Our secondary aim is to stop the creatures going back through the wrong anomalies. However, the priority is to stop them spreading throughout London. I don't know how long we'll be in battle for, but you know where the supplies are kept incase you run out of weaponry. Just make sure you stay safe, and keep each other safe as well."

She turned back to look out at the distance again blindly and she spoke into the radio that was strapped to her shoulder.

"Abby, Becker - any sign yet? Over."

"No. Over," Abby's crackled voice replied.

"Negative. Over," Becker replied.

"Everyone in position? Over," Jenny pushed.

"Affirmative. Over," Becker answered immediately.

"Yes. Over," Abby's voice said.

"Okay. Over and out," Jenny said, releasing the button on the radio and glancing round at Nick, noticing that he was watching her with an amused smile. "What?" she added to him, irritated.

"Nothing," he replied immediately, his smile widening. "You're just really sexy, that's all," he added in an undertone so that only she could hear him.

She chuckled slightly. "Are you joking?"

"No, I'm deadly serious," he said warmly. "Dressed in black, holding a gun, bossing everyone about. Massive turn on."

"Shut up - " she began to chide, but a flicker in the corner of her eye stopped her.

Her head snapped around, and she squinted out into the distance. Yes, that was defiantly a light . . .

Then, suddenly, without further warning, bright, retina-burning lights began to pop up as far as the eyes could see.

Hundreds of them.

They span from way out into the distance, scattered in between buildings, some clustered in groups, others far apart. They surrounded the building they were standing on top of, and stretched out far behind them. Some were huge and foreboding, bigger than houses, and others were as tiny as televisions.

But however way she spun it, Jenny realised with a sickening lurch that there were many more than expected, and covering a greater distance than they had the man-power for.

"Are you seeing this?" Jenny spoke into the radio numbly, her shock too great to bother using the correct walky-talky vocabulary.

"Yes," Abby's stunned sounding voice breathed back.

"Affirmative," Becker replied quietly. "We're surrounded."

Jenny glanced around at Nick, and saw the same terror she felt mirrored in his expression.

They were outnumbered.

Numb with shock, Jenny looked back at the still growing anomaly population, knowing that it wasn't just her that wouldn't survive this.

This was bad.

In her haze of disbelief, she felt Nick's warm hand brush up against her own and grasp it, squeezing it slightly in a futile gesture of comfort. However, it was enough to snap her out of her stupor, and start issuing crucial orders.

"Spread out across the edge!" she shouted to her men, and an instant shuffling sound told her that her orders were being followed. "Aim!" she added, and the unmistakable sound of guns being cocked could be heard.

She aimed her rifle also at the biggest anomaly on the road right in front of them, and felt Nick do the same from beside her.

The next few seconds passed as slowly as hours as they all waited in trepidation. Silence pressed in on them all as though the whole world was holding its breath, waiting for the blow to strike.

Suddenly, a gunshot could be heard cracking through the deafening silence, making everyone jump, despite the fact that there were no creature incursions as of yet. She glanced down the row of soldiers to her right, and saw one of them shaking slightly, looking at his gun uncertainly.

"Conserve your ammunition!" she snapped immediately. "Verify your target before firing!"

The man gulped and nodded, raising his gun again unsteadily. As Jenny looked back at the anomalies, she felt a prickle of guilt - the soldier looked barely twenty. Of course he was going to be nervous. God knows she was.

The eery silence pressed in still closer, as though it was the calm before the storm. After a few more moments of anxious waiting, Jenny actually found herself wishing that something would come through sooner rather than later so that the horrible anticipation of attack would alleviate.

No sooner had she thought it however, an earth-shattering roar came from the distance, making everyone start.

"Becker, what was that?" she demanded down the radio.

"T-rex!" he answered abruptly, and the sound of gun's firing could be heard sickeningly in the background.

Jenny was about to open her mouth and reply, but she froze immediately as several anomalies in front of their building started bulging . . .

Then, all hell broke loose.


	26. The assistance

**Just a short but necessary bridge chapter x**

Chapter 26

Ben paced in frustration around his minuscule cell, running his hands back through his hair as his stress mounted with each passing second. He knew that right about now, the creatures were bombarding London - and it killed that he was stuck in here, trapped and useless. The whole reason he had travelled back in time was now obsolete. All that planning and careful execution . . . why had he even bothered? History was repeating itself and there was nothing he could do about it but pace some more. All that his coming here had achieved was giving him the opportunity to know his mother after all those tortured years of wondering what she was like. But now that she was in battle anyway, she was doomed to die again, leaving him feeling more empty that he ever had before. Maybe he should have never come back? Then he wouldn't have been aware on what he was missing out on by not knowing her, and he wouldn't have the horrible sickly feeling that had now took hold of his stomach.

He turned and slapped his palms against the wall, letting out a frustrated cry. _Why did the woman have to be so bloody stubborn?_

Unexpectedly, the sound of keys could be heard in the lock, and with a muffled click, the door to his cell was unlocked. Turning in surprise, it wasn't until Ben saw Kathryn's pale face poking around the steel that he realised what was going on. Despite the fact that he had doubted her ability to be able to break into this place, she'd done it, just the way he had ordered her to.

With a deep exhale of relief, he closed the space in between them and pulled her into an embrace, his happiness at seeing her overshadowing the cool professionalism he usually displayed towards her during day hours.

"I didn't think you'd make it," he sighed into her fair hair.

"Have I ever let you down before?" she pointed out, her voice muffled against his shirt.

"No," he said fairly as they broke apart. "You haven't."

She smiled graciously, before gesturing down the corridor. "I had to knock one of the guards out to get his keys, but I think he'll be alright."

"You're tougher than I thought you were," he said as he strode over to the unconscious lump that was the guard, impressed by her means. "How did you know what cell I was in?" he asked curiously as he bent down and took the guards two guns.

"I didn't - I just guessed," she replied. "Shall I let the others out?" she added, gesturing down at the keys in her hands.

"No," he answered immediately, fixing the guns into his belt and turning to face her.

She shot him a puzzled look. "But don't you need them to help with the gas?"

"It's too late for that," he snapped, glancing down at his watch. "She's already out there."

"Who?" she asked, still looking bemused.

"My mother," he stated, looking back up at her. "And I won't kill her."

"But surely if the fate of the human race rests on it - "

"I won't kill her Kathryn, end of discussion!" he snarled, losing his temper. "I don't care if London does fall. I just want her alive."

"But she's already dead in our time!" she exclaimed. "What difference does it make?"

"The difference is that now I've got to know her!" he barked back as he turned and headed down the corridor. "And I won't lose her again!"

"You're not thinking about the consequences!" she argued as she hurried after him.

"Stuff the consequences!" he yelled, stopping dead and turning to face her again. "Now you're still under my command soldier, and I order you to leave the rest of them in here and go and help the boy."

"Boy - what boy?" she demanded, looking at him like he was crazy.

"The boy - Connor something, I think she said - he's the one making their Locking Mechanism up there," he said, pointing upwards to indicate the upper levels of the ARC. "And if you really want to save the future, you'll help him get it finished."

"But you know more about the Locking Mechanism that I do!" she protested. "Why can't you - "

"Because I have something I need to take care of!" he interrupted, knowing what she was going to say. "You were there when I built my one - you know how it works. They'll have already took mine apart to use it's power source - that's what I would have done."

"But - "

"Just do it Kathryn," he ordered sternly, before turning on his heel again, tired of wasting time.

He strode up the many steps and eventually came out into upper floor, too panicked to bother keeping himself hidden. However thankfully, he didn't come across anyone as he made his way down another corridor, not stopping until he spotted the person he was looking for through a panel of glass in the door. With Kathryn hot at his heels, he pushed open the door fully to find a youngish man fiddling around furiously with an unfamiliar piece of machinery whilst Ben's own creation, he saw with a pang, was in bits in the far corner.

"Connor I assume?" Ben said, causing the man to cry out in alarm and turn on the spot.

His brown eyes widened in surprise. "But you - how did you - ?"

"Look, I haven't got time for this!" Ben snapped. "My esteemed lady colleague here," he gestured round to Kathryn, who nodded a greeting, "will be helping you to finish your Locking Mechanism whilst I go and assist your suicidal field team in containing the creatures."

"But you can't - " Connor began, looking desperate.

"I'm not giving you a choice in the matter," Ben stated coldly.

"But you're going to gas them - "

"I'm not going to be gassing anyone," Ben insisted hotly. "Not while something precious to me is out there."

"But - "

"Just get it finished!" Ben exclaimed, turning to leave. "And quickly."

He flashed a warning look at Kathryn before striding out, hoping beyond hope that he wasn't too late.


	27. How London fell

Chapter 27

It was complete and utter bedlam.

Jenny tried to keep her head clear and keep firing at the creatures that seemed to continuously to pour out of the anomalies, but the pleading yells and shouts that echoed all around the streets below pierced her heart as she wondered desperately who they belonged to. Gunshots cracked unstoppably through the confused air, making her ears ring painfully, and the various cries and roars of the creatures had become a terrible soundtrack in the background.

Everything felt distorted.

Everything felt unreal.

Yet time stretched on, and Jenny kept taking aim and firing instinctually, this time at what she recognised as a juvenile Future Predator that was sprinting its way towards a distressed rhinoceros-looking creature. From beside her, she saw Nick loading up his tranquilizer gun before shooting a well aimed dart at what appeared to be a large sail-back lizard, whether carnivorous or not, she had no idea.

"We need help down here!" a scared and slightly muffled voice sounded out of Jenny's radio.

Ceasing fire for the first time in what felt like an age, Jenny hurriedly lowered her gun and spoke back into the receiver. "Abby, where are you? Over."

A spine tingling scream echoed out, making Jenny's blood turn to ice.

"Abby, come in!" she shouted into the radio, her fear building.

Only the innocent sound of static emerged from it.

_No, _Jenny thought to herself desperately. _No, she can't be . . ._

She snapped her head round to look at Nick, who seemed to be unaware of her chilling conversation with Abby as he took aim at another creature, this time with live rounds.

"I've lost contact with Abby!" she shouted to him over the din.

He looked around, his eyes widened in fear. "Are you sure?" he yelled back.

"Of course I'm sure!" she snapped, turning to face her men, who remained scattered along the roof top. "Move out!" she added loudly to them all, causing them to turn. "We've been asked for help down there, and they're going to get it!"

"Ma'am," they all nodded, shouldering their guns and making to move towards the staircase.

"You three stay up here!" she shouted at the soldiers nearest to her, her throat aching with the effort of making herself heard over the noise. "We still need snipers!"

They nodded and immediately turned back to their posts without question, taking aim again.

She made to follow the rest of the soldiers off the roof, but before she had moved more than a few paces, Nick's hand halted her. His face was contorted with worry, and his eyes looked pleadingly into hers. "Jenny, I don't think - "

"Nick, Abby's in trouble down there!" she snapped in disbelief, knowing he was going to ask her to stay on the relative safety of the rooftop. "You seriously expect me to just leave her and Sarah out there?"

"No," he mumbled almost indiscernibly as he let go of her arm, looking resigned. "No, I know you won't."

"Then lets stop wasting time!" she insisted as she took off again.

* * *

If Jenny had thought the battle looked chaotic from high up on the rooftop, it was nothing compared to what it was like actually being in it. Creatures, both friendly and otherwise, littered the streets; blinding light issued from everywhere, making it difficult to see straight; and soldiers could be heard, panicked and fearful, either running away from an oncoming attack, or else firing wildly at the nearest creature. Jenny's own soldiers had spread out, assisting the ground soldiers where they could, but Jenny and Nick made directly for where they knew Abby's team had been stationed, despite not knowing if they had moved or not.

Threading their way through the flickering lights, avoiding the gunshots and dodging the snapping jaws, Jenny felt Nick grab her hand, probably because he feared losing her in the fray. Together, they sprinted onwards, both raising their guns every now and then and firing if they spotted an easy target without being held up on getting to Abby. Bodies were strewn across the cold ground, whether human or creature, Jenny didn't know, or indeed want to know; she was putting all her energy into getting to her friend, and desperately hoping that there was another reason, apart from the obvious, why she hadn't been able to raise Abby on the radio since that chilling scream.

Then, without warning, the air seemed to explode.

Jenny felt a tremendous force hit her, and suddenly, her hand was wrenched from Nick's and she was flying through the air backwards. She had no idea what had happened, except that she was in pain, and screaming, although she couldn't hear her own voice as she slammed to the ground hard. Dazed, but still conscious as far as she could tell, she could hear shouts and yells all around her, but it took her a while to regain herself. When the world had finally stopped spinning sickeningly, she staggered to her feet, confused as she realised that she was standing on what looked like the wreckage of a building. She looked up towards the dull grey sky and was shocked to see a large Brachiosaurus walking casually through the rubble of what used to be a shop, its gigantic feet crunching on the littered ground, and its head that was at least thirty feet off the ground gazing absently into the distance. It seemed disinterested in what was going on all around it; clearly, its only priority was shifting its forty tonnes of weight through the building it had just decimated.

Shaking with shock, Jenny glanced around and felt another bolt of terror when she realised that Nick was nowhere to be seen. He had been right next to her before the rubble had hit them, but now . . .

"NICK!" she shouted blindly, so loud that she thought her throat would tear. "NICK!"

Her eyes frantically searched the place, but she couldn't see him anywhere. Completely paralysed with fright, she only became aware again when a figure collided with her painfully, causing her to stagger backwards.

"Sorry!" a familiar voice said, as gentle hands steadied her.

"Abby?" Jenny murmured, her vision still swimming slightly with the impact of the rubble.

"Jenny, my teams scattered - I can't find Sarah anywhere!" Abby cried, looking visibly shaken. "I've been looking for her, but I've lost my radio - "

"I've lost Nick as well! He was right here a second ago - " Jenny began, but she was cut off by a loud roar that made them both jump violently.

They both turned, and before they could stop themselves, they screamed, although it hardy mattered, the nosie of the battle was so loud. There, standing merely ten feet from them, towering over them all, was unmistakably a Tyrannosaurus Rex. It was a sickly greyish colour, standing at least twenty feet tall, its enormously robust head housing a row of long, closely packed pointed teeth that looked as though they were already stained red with blood.

Frozen, unable to move with fear, it was only when Abby's hand closed around Jenny's wrist and tugged her that she realised that they had to move, or they were next on the menu.

"RUN!" Abby yelled, pulling Jenny behind her as she took off inbetween a pair of twinkling anomalies.

"But what about Nick?" Jenny cried, aware that she was sobbing.

"He's tough, he'll be fine!" Abby shouted back, still urging her onwards.

Jenny was about to resist her tugs - about to insist that she wasn't going anywhere until she had found her husband - but the ground began to shake ominously, informing them that the T-rex was moving. A quick glance back was all they needed to tell them that it had spotted them, and that staying put was no longer an option.

Heart bursting its banks, Abby and Jenny both flung themselves onwards, remaining low in fear of being shot by one of their own men. Jenny forced herself not to look around - she didn't have to - she knew the monster was still pursuing them by the looks on the soldiers faces they past as they looked behind them. Eventually, a spindly bridge came into view that spanned across what was a very busy road under usual circumstances, and beneath it, a large group of soldiers all stood in an arch formation, firing at random creatures in the distance. In the middle, barking orders at the rest, was Becker.

Gasping for breath, Jenny reached for the radio, wanting to warn him before they brought the creature on them.

"Becker - another T-rex - three o'clock!" she yelled, too tired to be able to string a full sentence together.

She saw their heads all turn towards them, and immediately, they all snapped their guns around to aim at a point behind Jenny an Abby. When they reached Becker, they both turned and aimed their guns also.

"BRING IT DOWN!" Becker bellowed to them all. "LIVE ROUNDS!"

They all fired in unison, and the T-rex seemed to stagger, clearly caught off guard by the sudden wave of bullets. However, to Jenny's horror, it seemed to shake the pain off, and it let out another ear-splitting roar, showing that all they had done was piss it off.

"Aim for its head!" Jenny shouted at them all, and immediately, everyone cocked their guns upwards and fired clumsily towards its jaw.

But they still weren't causing enough damage to it - all they were doing was making it wary of approaching them further, which Jenny had a sneaky suspicion it would get over before long.

Jenny glanced behind them, and spotted the bridge again, and reasoning that it would be a lot easier to aim at its head from a higher vantage point, she beckoned Abby to follow her. They sprinted up the metal stairs together and eventually came to a halt in the middle of the bridge, both panting but alert as they took aim again. As the soldiers fired from below, Jenny squeezed the trigger also, and heard Abby do the same from next to her. This time, one of Jenny's bullets seemed to do the trick, hitting the creature square in the eye. It bellowed and staggered forwards alarmingly. The solders below scattered, and Becker's voice could be heard shouting something that sounded like it was directed at Jenny.

But she wasn't fast enough.

The massive six tonnes of creature fell towards the bridge in what seemed like slow motion.

Jenny and Abby both dived in opposite directions to each other as the T-rex's bulk split the bridge two and it hit the ground below with a shuddering impact. Pulse racing, Jenny felt the platform leave her feet, and instinctually, she tried to clutch to some of the bars that seemed to be stable enough not to break apart. However, whether because of tiredness or injury, she couldn't seem to support her own weight, and with a cry of horror, for the second time that day, she felt herself falling through the air.

She hit the ground hard, and immediately, an all consuming pain shot through her rib cage. The agony was so intense that everything around her seemed to slow. She was still alive, she knew that because of the pain, but she also knew that she was badly hurt. She tried to move, but she couldn't - she just couldn't . . .

The T-rex's body was lying next to her, dwarfing her in comparison, but it was either unconscious or dead, and so no longer a concern to her. But as her senses became more attuned, she became aware that something else _was_ a concern for her. A horrid croaking noise could be heard from in front of her, and when she forced her unfocused eyes to look upwards, her already nauseated stomach seemed to disappear completely.

A brownish, man-sized lizard was making its was towards her, tilting its head to the side curiously as it surveyed her.

A Velociraptor.

Panicking, but barely able to summon the strength to move, she clumsily fished for her second gun, but when she finally managed to pull it out, she couldn't seem to be able to gather the energy to pull the trigger.

The creature paused, as though unsure of whether she constituted as prey or not.

Pulling on any strength she had left and trying desperately to remain conscious, she tried to scramble backwards and fire, but the burning pain in her ribs wouldn't let her aim properly. Her bullets missed the thing, and the fact that she was trying to back away and crying out in pain at the same time seemed to spark its interest.

The Raptor started to approach her slowly, and its scaly mouth seemed to be pulled into a sneering smile that showed all of its sharp teeth.

_This is it_, Jenny though to herself as her last ounce of strength left her and her gun fell out of her weak grip. _This was how she was supposed to die. _


	28. Unexpected assistance

**I'm so sorry, had my MCQ exams and a load of postgraduate applications to do! I haven't lost interest in the story, and I promise to update much more often over the xmas hols :) Forgive me? Haha, hope you enjoy x**

Chapter 28

The first thing that Cutter became aware of was the throbbing pain that was coming from behind his left ear, radiating the full length of his skull; so intense and so attuned that he almost wished that he would slip back into blissful oblivion again. All around him, screams and shouts were mingled with the roars of unidentifiable creature, but they all seemed so distant . . . so muffled . . .

Slowly, he opened his eyes a crack, unable to find the strength to force his lids further.

Darkness.

His first thought was that he had gone blind, the same way that Claudia had when she was knocked out back in the other world all those years ago. It took a few moments for his muddled brain to work out that he was staring at a piece of rubble. This confused him for a while as his slowed mind tried to piece together the fuzzy pieces of what he could remember. They were on the roof . . . he and Jenny . . . and then he remembered something to do with Abby . . . and then . . .

He widened his eyes suddenly as the image of Jenny flying through the air popped up in his newly cleared mind, and out of nowhere, a pulse of energy shot through him, giving him the strength to push the rubble off him. Immediately, he inhaled a thick cloud of unsettled dust that caught in his throat, causing it to constrict sharply. Coughing and spluttering, he staggered to his unsteady feet, his eyesight still blurry as he steered his unfocused gaze to travel the length of his surroundings.

He was standing in the ruins of a building, but how and why seemed completely redundant at that point. He had more important things to worry about.

"Jenny!" he tried to shout at the top of his lungs, but what came out of his throat was in a low, scratchy voice. "Jenny!"

His vision still swimming with light, and his ears ringing alarmingly, he watched as though he was completely removed from the battle as a small group of what appeared to be Gallimimus's scurried past, darting in between anomalies like a flock of birds. Yells were still discernable through his haze, although whether human or other, he could not tell.

"Jenny!" he croaked again, his throat burning with the effort of speaking, but his fear at not being able to find his wife taking over any physical injury. "Jenny!"

He sensed rather than heard a sudden movement behind him, but he couldn't seem to exert any further control over his weakened body to turn around quick enough. The thing darted to his side swiftly, and with a dawning horror, Cutter caught a glimpse of a large and terribly familiar figure; Centipede-like, with too many legs to be able to count. Before he could so much as draw a breath, something sharp sliced into his shoulder.

Agony blinded him, and he crumbled to his knees, his compromised senses unable to ignore the burning sensation of poison that was already slowly spreading through his veins.

* * *

Jenny felt so utterly drained that she almost welcomed death for the promise of peace that it brought. It was a strange sensation - to know ones death was merely seconds away. Jenny had though that she would be scared, but now that the moment was upon her, she felt nothing but a paralysing numbness. Maybe it was shock. Maybe it was acceptance. Either way, she knew she could do nothing to stop it. The Raptor was close enough that she could smell the rancid odour of stale blood and flesh on its breath.

She squeezed her eyes shut and immediately, the image of her three-year old son popped into her head, causing her chest to convulse painfully. If only she could see him again, even if it was just one more time . . .

Gunshots cracked through her stupour, shocking her out of her daze. To her complete bemusement, the Raptor keeled over sidewards and fell to the ground with a sickening crunch, clearly and unmistakably dead. And then suddenly, arms were around her, pulling her up.

"What - " she began faintly.

"Come on, up! Get up!" Ben's voice shouted, clearly panicked.

She obeyed without question, blocking out the pain and the noises around them as she forced herself to move. Ben dragged her around the side of the almost completely decimated bridge, only stopping when they reached the wide pillar that still stood erect, supporting nothing but air. Exhausted, and almost passing out with the agony in her ribs, Jenny lent against it and immediately felt herself sliding down onto the rubble-strewn ground, whimpering in pain as she clutched her side. She couldn't even be bothered to ask Ben how he'd escaped the ARC cell.

He crouched down in front of her, his stern expression not quite masking his concern. Without speaking a word, he reached down and prized her hand away. Gently, he pressed his fingers up against her throbbing ribs.

"Jesus!" she gasped through clenched teeth, jolting as a particularly nasty pain shot through her.

He ignored her, and continued to prod each of her ribs in turn, his face furrowed in pained concentration. Eventually, he dropped his hands away from her.

"Two fractured ribs as far as I can tell," he said in an unconcerned voice as he got to his feet. "You're lucky."

Jenny gapped at him, wondering if his was being sarcastic or not. _Lucky? _Was he serious? Two fractured ribs, a missing husband, a city ransacked by creatures, scattered friends . . . exactly what part of that did he class as lucky?

Before she could retort however -

"Now that you're not on deaths door, I don't mind being frank with you," he began icily. "Are you suicidal, or just plain stupid?"

"I - what?" she murmured as she tried to prop herself up more, still unable to think clearly because of the pain.

Vaguely, she was aware that she was trembling, and she had gained enough experience of these near death encounters to know that she was probably going into shock. Ben, however, either didn't notice, or didn't care.

"You _never_ drop your weapon," he continued sharply as he dropped her discarded gun in front of her. "Now get up."

"I - I can't," she replied, sinking back against the pillar.

"You can," he said, taking a step back from her to indicate that he was going to help her no further. "You fight through the pain, because if you don't - you die. Get up."

She glared up at him, hoping that she was conveying the utter loathing she felt for him at that precise moment.

"Get up!" he shouted, clearly losing any patience he had. "This is pathetic. Maybe I should just let you die - maybe it's natures way of weeding out the weak - "

"I'm not weak!" she snapped, his words prodding a sensitive issue.

"Prove it then," he replied smugly. "Get up."

She shot him one final look of disdain before she slowly lay her palms flat against the ground and attempted to heave herself up. As she suspected, the pain redoubled, and she sunk back down with a sob. Ben said nothing, only crossed his arms, surveying her with a bored, cold look. It was the sight of his complete lack of empathy that drove her on. This time, she leant heavily on the pillar for support, and with a cry of agony, she staggered to her feet. Teeth gritted against the unbearable pain, she allowed herself a few moments rest until the majority of the throbbing had subsided before she turned to face him. She noticed that he was closer to her than before, as though he had stepped forward to help her, but then had thought better of it. Jenny could have sworn that his features were etched in worry, but as their gazes met, he hurriedly re-arranged his expression into a look of detachment.

"Good," he stated, giving her a curt nod before reaching down picking up her gun. "So you can stand," he added as he straightened up and thrust the weapon into her hands, "but can you fight?"

"Watch me," she retorted coldly as she snatched the gun back.

"Good," he nodded again in approval.

Then, to Jenny's complete surprise, he raised his own gun to aim at a point just over her shoulder. She jumped as he fired; the bullet flying neatly over her. She turned immediately, and nearly dropped the gun again in shock.

It seemed that when she had been too busy feeling sorry for herself, a group of Raptors - at least ten fully-grown adults - had formed an uncertain ring around them, surveying them with avid interest. The Raptor that Ben had shot was splayed across the floor, bleeding freely, and the creatures closest to its carcass were nudging it curiously, as though trying to figure out what had happened to a member of their group.

"Go back to back," Ben ordered sharply, and again, she obeyed without argument, knowing that despite the fact she had four-years field experience, his knowledge of fighting these creatures far outstripped her own.

They both raised their guns, pointing them at the creatures closest.

"The ones directly in front of us are going to try and keep our attention on them," Ben stated in a calm voice from behind her. "Then we're going to be attacked from the side."

"So what do we do?" she asked in a strained voice, panic enveloping her.


	29. En route

Chapter 29

As Connor took another sharp turn in the SUV to maneuver the car towards the fault line rupture, he couldn't help but notice how eery it was to be driving down the endless deserted streets. On an average day, the appalling traffic made it near-damn impossible to drive above a crawl half the time.

But now . . . nothing.

There wasn't a sign of anything living, human or otherwise, and quite frankly, it gave Connor the creeps. There was a shadow of the little boy inside him that thought it rather cool to be the only car on the road within a fifty mile radius, but that part of his personality had been almost completely vanquished by the terror that if he hasn't got the Locking Mechanism working properly, they were all dead.

He half-glanced at the woman sitting next to him in the passenger seat. Kathryn - yes, that was her name. She hadn't said much since they had been forced together to complete the Mechanism; only interjected a few times to tell him that he had attached something in the wrong place or something like that. He hadn't argued with her, partly because she gave off the distinct air of someone who knew their stuff, but it didn't help that her effortless beauty was rather intimidating. Not that he wasn't used to being around beautiful women; after all, he hung round with Abby, Jenny and Sarah all the time. But then again, they were his friends. This girl was a stranger to him.

"So . . . do you really think this will work then?" he asked her sheepishly, as usual, not being able to stand the awkward silence - it's not like the two soldiers in the back of the car were very good conversationalists.

"Possibly," she relied shortly, her cool gaze fixed out of her window.

"Oh don't sound too sure, will you?" he laughed nervously.

The corners of her mouth twitched upwards slightly in a repressed grin. "I'm sure it'll be fine," she said, her tone noticeably warmer. "You've done a good job."

"Why thank you," he said, rather smugly - it wasn't often he received a compliment off a pretty girl without them having an ulterior motive. "So . . ." he began again, wanting to keep the conversation flowing. ". . . what's it like in the future then?"

Her soft expression turned stony in an instant, and her eyes changed from sparkling to dead-looking. "It's the most horrific place you can ever imagine," she said quietly.

"See I always pictured us all flying round in hover cars or something," he joked, before catching a glance of her stern expression, and he abruptly looked back at the road, humbled.

A few moments of agonising silence passed by; the only sounds coming from the soldiers, who seemed to be fiddling with their guns to check that they were ready for battle.

"So . . ." Connor continued, deciding on the spot that he'd rather have an awkward conversation than an awkward silence. ". . . are you Cutter and Jenny's son's girlfriend then?"

Kathryn laughed weakly, turning her green eyes on him. "You never shut up, do you?"

"Not unless forced," he smiled.

She returned his smile with a gentle one of her own. "Don't tempt me," she said, her strict tone not quite masking the softness in her voice. "And to answer your question - no, not really."

"Oh? You seemed quite fond of him?" he pushed.

"I am," she sighed, looking down at her pale hands. "But it's complicated."

"How so?"

"You ask a lot of questions," she remarked, but Connor was thankful to see that she looked more amused than annoyed.

"Well one of us has too," he pointed out with a smile.

She rolled her eyes slightly, before continuing somewhat reluctantly. "I - he . . . he's been through an awful lot," she said with a distant look in her eye. "He was madly in love with another woman before he found me. And he'll never love me as much as he did her."

"What happened to her?" he asked, feeling a natural curiosity - after all, Connor was young Ben's God-father, and he loved the little guy to pieces - he was the coolest kid he'd ever met.

"She was killed by a creature," Kathryn answered solemnly. "She and their daughter."

"Daughter?" Connor repeated with surprise.

"Yes."

"That's . . . that's terrible . . ." he stammered, feeling completely bemused. Then, however, a completely hilarious thought popped into his brain, completely unbidden, and before he could stop himself, he burst out laughing.

Kathryn looked round at him, disgusted, clearly thinking he was amused by the slaughter of a woman and child.

"Oh, no!" he said hurriedly, desperate to correct her misconception. "I'm not laughing at that . . . it's just the thought of Jenny being a Grandmother that's funny . . . sorry, I'll shut up now . . ." he trailer off, feeling himself grow hot with embarrassment.

Her face relaxed slightly. "No, it's okay," she sighed, turning her green eyes on him. "So are you close to Jenny and her husband then?"

"Oh, yeah," he replied immediately, feeling pride swell in his stomach. "They're like family to me. They're the bravest and most unselfish people I've ever met."

"I've only met Jenny," Kathryn interjected, the ghost of a smile flicking across her lips. "She reminds me a lot of Matt - Ben to you of course," she added.

"Oh?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Both of them take no nonsense, both of them are clever and stubborn" she continued, listing the qualities on her fingers as she went. "Like mother, like son, I suppose."

"Well Cutter's no pushover either," Connor added.

"Well Matt - _Ben_ - never really talks about him," she replied absently, but suddenly, her expression changed from relaxed to tense, as though she realised that she'd said too much.

"Why's that?" he asked curiously.

"I don't know," she replied, a little too quickly to be believable. She turned to face him again with a forced-looking impassiveness. "Anyway, enough about me and my life - what about you?"

"What about me?" he asked slowly.

"Have you got a girlfriend?" she asked with a rye smile.

"I - um - no," he replied quickly, his thoughts unwillingly drifting to Abby.

"What? A cute guy like you?" she chuckled in mock-surprise, causing him to blush. "I'd go out with you myself if I could."

"Really?" he asked in disbelief.

"Of course," she smiled. "Although I am only about two-years-old in this day and age, so it'd probably be a bit weird - "

Suddenly, a massive force hit the side of the car, causing Connor to swear loudly and swerve the SUV so that it stayed on the road.

"What the hell was that?" Kathryn exclaimed as he slammed down hard on the break.

The soldiers jumped out of the back seat immediately, as did Kathryn; Connor only able to follow when his heart had started back up again. Slipping slightly on some thin ice on the frosted ground, he squinted back down the street, his mouth falling open when he spotted the thing that had hit them.

A gigantic deer - and Irish Elk if he was not mistaken - was galloping off down the street at full speed, its massive antlers splayed out fantastically either side of its large head. The soldiers sprinted after it, firing their guns wildly to try and bring it down.

"Oy! Use tranquilizers!" Connor yelled after them, feeling a pulse of anger that they were using live rounds against an a creature that was doing no-one any harm.

Kathryn was standing at the other side of car, looking as white as a sheet.

"What?" he added to her. "Don't worry - it's not dangerous - "

"No, it's not that," she replied, looking panicked. "If an Elk can make it this far outside the contained area, who knows what else has? We need to get over there. Now."

* * *

**I'm not that good at inhabiting Connor, but it was just a filler chapter! More Jenny, Cutter and Ben to come :) x **


	30. Trust me

**Quite a long chapter to make up for the lack of updates :D **

**Merry Christmas everyone x**

**

* * *

**

Chapter 30

Jenny could feel Ben's back pressed up against her own, and noticed how his rib-cage expanded rapidly with his quickened breath as they both scanned the line of monsters around them. Jenny herself seemed to have lost the ability to breath at all, which was sure to become a problem for her soon, but she felt too paralysed with terror to be able to do anything about it. The Raptors seemed to be unsure of whether to attack or not, or else they were waiting for the right time to strike - but either way, Jenny couldn't help but notice that they were taking a particular interest in her.

"They know you're injured," Ben breathed from behind her, as though he had read her thoughts. "They see you as an easier target. They're going to attack you first."

"Oh, well thanks for telling me," she retorted sarcastically. "I don't suppose you have a plan?"

"I'm working on it," he hissed back. "Just keep your gun up."

"I'm not stupid!" she snapped, not taking her eyes of the closest Raptor that seemed to be edging towards her ever so slightly.

"Could have fooled me!"

"You know what - this isn't really the time for arguing," she said in a tense voice. "Could we perhaps deal with your issues at a better time? You know - when we're not about five seconds away from having our heads bitten off?"

"Fine," he sniffed, and she felt him retrieve a second gun from a belt around his waist. "Right, we wait for them to attack. Then I'll hold them off while you make a run for it - "

"No - " she began immediately, but he ignored her.

"You run until you reach that shop over there - " he nodded, clearly indicated a certain direction, although she didn't dare turn her attention away from the predators to see where, " - and you call your boss. Tell him to get outside military to form a perimeter a mile around this place to make sure the creatures don't escape - "

"No, I'm not leaving you," she stated firmly, not even wanting to consider leaving him to die so that she could escape.

"And tell him to get a helicopter out as well," he continued as though he hadn't heard her. "To make sure there's no creatures outside the containment area - "

"I'm not leaving you alone!" she protested hotly, stung that he thought she'd be so selfish.

"Look, for once in your life, stop being such a bloody martyr and do as you're told!" he barked, sounding angry.

Jenny turned her head to him, about to match his anger, only realising that she had made a grave mistake when it was too late. Her attention only lapsed for a fraction of a second, but it was enough - from the corner of her eye, she saw the Raptor in front of her lunge forwards.

With a yell of surprise, she snapped her head back to it, and squeezed the trigger of her gun automatically. Mercifully, her bullet hit the creature in between the eyes and it was floored instantly. The other Raptors didn't seem particularly discouraged by their comrades demise; on the contrary, some of them took it as their cue to strike. Jenny fired at each one that moved forward, and could feel Ben doing the same from behind her.

Suddenly, he grabbed her arm and roughly pulled her round to face him. "The shop - go!" he demanded, indicating a row of buildings in front of them.

"No - !" she began to protest, but he turned his attention away from her to fire at another cocky Raptor.

Jenny froze for a second, knowing that she should be running like hell towards the relative safety of the shop to send their SOS to Lester, but her completely unwilling maternal instinct wouldn't let her move a muscle. She watched in horror as Ben picked up a large metal pole that was part of the wreckage of the bridge, and as each Raptor darted for him, he wacked them in one swift motion, breaking their jaws as though they were made of cardboard. The way he moved gave the distinct impression that he had vigorously trained for combat, or else that he had to do it every day anyway.

He glanced back at her, and for a moment looked furious to see her still standing there. He reached forward and grabbed her arm painfully. "GO!" he bellowed again, and with a massive force, he flung her from him so that she staggered backwards several feet.

Before she could persuade herself out of it, she finally obeyed, and started to sprint towards the shop, ignoring the searing pain emanating from her cracked ribs and the hot tears that were swimming in her eyes.

Panting, she burst through the shop door and slammed it shut behind her, vaguely registering that it was a pharmacy. The radio that had previously been strapped to her shoulder was no longer there - it had probably came off when she had fell from the bridge. Wheezing to try and get her breath back, she fished in her pockets for her mobile phone, but only ended up cursing loudly when it was nowhere to be found.

_Dammit!_

With a sigh of frustration, she looked up, her eyes scanning the darkening shop. The place was small and cramped, with glass casing around the side walls full of an assortment of drugs. The counter was over at the far side, raised slightly so that it stood prominent . . . her eyes were drawn to the wall behind it, and with a surge of relief, she noticed a green phone attached to it.

She hurried over and grabbed it, furiously dialing Lester's number before sinking to sit with her back against the counter, still unable to get her breathing to return to normal. It was only a few rings before Lester picked up.

"James Lester," he said curtly.

"James, it's Jenny," she breathed, impatiently wiping the tears from underneath her eyes.

He paused for a second, and if she wasn't mistaken, he exhaled a sigh of relief. "Are you alright?" he asked in an uncharacteristically tense voice.

She shook her head, forgetting that he couldn't see her. "No," she sobbed before she could stop herself. "I can't find Nick, or Abby - or anyone else for that matter - "

"Are you injured?"

"Yes," she replied with a sniff. "But that's not why I called. I need you to get any back up soldiers to form a perimeter a mile around the place," she continued, echoing Ben's orders. "And we need a helicopter to spot any creatures we've missed."

He sighed again, although this time in aspiration. "We said we'd only do that as a last resort. They don't know about the anomalies - "

"We haven't got a choice," she said firmly. "We've failed to contain the creatures. If we don't stop them, they'll spread - "

"Okay, I get the point," he interrupted, sounding disappointed. "I thought you said you could handle this Jenny?"

"I'm doing the best that I can," she said, her voice cracking. "There are too many anomalies - "

"I don't want to hear excuses," he cut her off again. "I have to go if you expect me to get the soldiers there on time. Oh and Jenny?"

"What?" she muttered, resisting the urge to fling the phone against the wall with difficulty.

"Do try and keep yourself alive won't you?" he said in an unconcerned voice.

She opened her mouth to argue her case some more, but she was met with the hang up tone, telling her that Lester had clicked off the connection. Seething with anger, Jenny let the phone fall out of her hand as she lent her head back, squeezing her eyes shut against her racing emotions. Panic, fear, pain, tiredness . . . all seemed to mingle together, making her unsure of what she was actually feeling. All she wanted to do was see her husband. No, forget see him - just talking to him would do. At least then she would know he was alright . . .

With a jolt, she realised that she could try ringing him - surely Nick would have his mobile on him?

For the second time, she picked up the phone and this time, dialed Nicks number. Nervously, she held it up to her ear, finding that the ringing tone dragging on much longer than normal, probably due to her eagerness to hear his voice.

_Come on Nick,_ she thought to herself, her heart sinking as she realised that he wasn't answering. _Come on . . Tell me you're alright . . ._

All of a sudden, she heard the shop door scuffle open from behind her, causing the familiar sensation of numbing fear to flood the pit of her stomach. She froze and listened for a few seconds, not daring to so much as breathe; yes, there was something there . . . something in the shop . . .

Slowly, desperate not to make a sound that would give herself away, she hung up the phone and set it down carefully on the floor. Breath caught in her constricted throat, she adjusted herself so that she was crouching behind the counter, and ever so slowly, she pulled her gun out.

_Keep calm . . ._ she thought to herself firmly, trying in vain to control her pounding heart. _Just keep calm . . ._

The thing - whatever it was - seemed to move deeper into the shop.

Taking a deep but silent steadying breath, Jenny took the safety off her gun, and before her courage dissipated, she stood up abruptly and aimed her gun at the figure standing merely feet from her.

"I don't think you want to do that," a familiar voice stated, laced with cold amusement.

Ben.

"Je-sus _Christ!_" Jenny exhaled, relief flooding through her as she lowered her gun to her side. "You scared the hell out of me!"

"Sorry," he chuckled, stepping forwards slightly.

As he moved into a patch of light, Jenny couldn't help but gasp aloud - he was completely _covered _in blood; his tattered clothes were spattered so heavily that it was impossible to tell what their original colour was. His face was smeared with red, and his muscular arms were heavily scratched.

"Oh my God," she breathed in shock, her eyes travelling over him.

"It's not my blood," he shrugged as he looked down at himself, sounding unfazed. "Well - for the most part. Did you contact your boss?"

"Yes," she replied numbly, still unable to tear her eyes away from all that blood.

"Good," he nodded. "How are your ribs?"

"Fine," she lied immediately.

He raised a doubtful eyebrow. "Yeah, I'm not buying it. Sit down," he added, moving towards the counter.

"What? But - " she said in surprise, about to protest that they should get back outside.

Ben, however, ignored her and wandered off into the back of the pharmacy, and despite her eagerness to find everyone, Jenny couldn't help but sink to the floor again, allowing herself to give in to the pain that had been threatening to engulf her since she had started running away from the Raptors.

Ben returned a short while later, carrying the strangest assortment of items imaginable - some unidentifiable pills, a packaged needle and a spoon.

"What's that all for?" she asked, surveying him suspiciously as he sat down next to her.

"A little trick I've picked up," he replied, his attention elsewhere as he unwrapped the needle and lay it on his leg, freeing his hands so he could pop out two white pills from the packaging. He lay the pills on the empty wrapping and began crushing them into powder form with the back of the spoon.

"What is it?" she pushed.

"Co-codamol," he replied shortly. "Believe me, after this, you'll be able to do back flips and not feel the pain. I've done this a few times when I've been injured."

"I'm not taking any drugs!" she scoffed immediately, watching as he scooped up the powder onto the spoon, reminded forcibly of how she had drugged the guard at his base in a similar manner. That seemed like a life time ago.

"If you don't, you're not going to make it out of here alive," he stated simply.

He fished into his pants pocket, eventually pulling out a lighter and igniting the flame, and carefully, he held it under the spoon.

"What are you? Some kind of drug lord?" Jenny asked, slightly amused.

"Oh they're only prescription drugs," he said, rolling his eyes. "It's not like I'm injecting you with heroine."

"You're not injecting me with anything," she corrected him.

He was silent for a long while, his eyes squinted and his tongue inbetween his teeth, giving him a look of avid concentration.

"Look - it'll help," he said eventually, his eyes still fixed on the liquidating drug on the spoon. "Just trust me."

"And why should I trust you Ben?" she asked. "After all you've put me through?"

"I did all that to keep you alive," he replied, setting the lighter down and picking up the needle. "And so far, I think I've done quite a good job."

"With me, yes," she said, watching as he placed the tip of the needle in the liquid and slowly drew the drug it into the body. "But your father's missing. Are you in the least bit bothered by that?"

"I need to inject this into a large muscle," he said in a matter-of-fact voice, completely disregarding her words as he tapped the needle to rid it of air bubbles. "Upper arm, thigh or ass? Actually, scrap the last one - as if I'm not screwed enough already. Upper arm or thigh?"

"You're serious about this aren't you?" she asked in disbelief.

He pushed on the needle end so that a little liquid trickled out of the tip. "Absolutely," he said shortly, no trace of a reaction on his face.

She sighed heavily, looking at the needle point with apprehension.

"Trust me," he repeated again in a much gentler voice.

She looked up into those eyes that were so familiar, and yet so strange at the same time, and for the millionth time since this had all began, she found herself marveling that this dangerous man was her son. Still, there was something beneath their steely blueness - something that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Perhaps she was crazy; perhaps everything she'd been through had impaired her ability to read people as well as she used to. But something told her that he wouldn't do anything to hurt her.

"Arm," she sighed eventually, rolling up her sleeve slowly.

"Excellent," he smiled as he pulled her wrist towards him.

Jenny looked away, unable to stomach seeing the needle go into her skin; she'd never been the biggest fan of them, and liked them even less now that it wasn't a trained professional giving her the shot. She felt a sharp pain as the tip pierced her, and the breath was dragged out of her as she felt him inject the drug.

"There," he said eventually, chucking the used needle on the floor. "All done. It should kick in in about twenty minutes."

"Can't wait," she said through gritted teeth as she pulled her sleeve down.

Ben smiled slightly, looking like he was about to say something, but his mobile suddenly started buzzing in his pocket. With a groan, he fished for it and pulled it out, flipping it open.

"Yeah?" he said absently into the mouthpiece.

Massaging her tender arm, Jenny watched his expression furrow as though he was listening intently.

"Okay," he said in an obvious forced-calm voice. "Meet us by the destroyed bridge . . . no, you'll know it when I see it. And when it's done, I want you to turn around, and go back to the ARC . . . no arguments Kate, it's too dangerous. You can't be here, is that clear? . . . Yeah, I'll see you there . . . bye."

He snapped the phone shut, and glanced up at Jenny. He obviously spotted her expression, as he raised a questioning eyebrow. "What?"

"Someone's in love . . ." she teased, smiling somewhat ruefully.

"Oh shut up," he sighed as he straightened up and holding out his hand for her to take.

"What? It's nothing to be ashamed of - " she stated, accepting his offer.

"I'm not in love with her alright?" he protested, looking agitated as he pulled her to her feet. "She's my subordinate . . . she's a nice girl . . . and she's my responsibility . . ."

"Oh whatever," she stated with a grimace as the pain in her ribs became as attuned as it had been before the drugs. "God, men are exactly the same, no matter what time zone they're from. Where is Kathryn anyway?"

"She and Connor are here with the Locking Mechanism," he replied as he walked over to the door, peering out of the glass window to check if the cost was clear.

Jenny stopped dead. "What? Well why didn't you say so?"

"I just did," he stated, pulling the door open slowly and glancing down the street again. "Are you coming or not?" he added to her.

"Of course I am!" she scoffed, prodding him so that he moved.

* * *

The silver SUV pulled up haphazardly next to the pillar of the destroyed bridge and immediately, two soldiers jumped out of the back seat, followed by Connor and a harassed-looking Kathryn.

"You took your time!" Ben shouted over to Connor as he began unloading the Mechanism with the help of the soldiers.

"Hey, it's not the easiest thing in the world to build you know!" Connor protested as he heaved a particularly heavy-looking contraption out of the boot and carried it over to near the closest anomaly.

"I know - I've built one before," Ben replied coldly, not making one movement to help them unload.

"Leave him alone," Jenny snapped at Ben, not liking the insinuation he was making about her friend.

"You know - I like small Ben better!" Connor shouted, his face hidden behind the metallic box he was carrying.

Ben snorted before focusing his attention on Kathryn. "You alright?"

She nodded with a small smile. "I was worried about you though."

"Me?" he said with in a mock-hurt voice. "When have I ever needed worrying about?"

"Guys, as sweet as this is, can you help me get this set up please?" Connor said in a strained voice as he jogged back to the car, puffing slightly.

Jenny made to move forward and help, but Ben stopped her. "Not you," he stated sternly. "You're hurt."

"Why, what happened?" Connor asked, his voice laced with genuine concern as he picked up a heavy-looking bag.

"Nothing, I'm fine," Jenny snapped, not liking being fussed over. "How long before it's set up?"

"Not long now," Connor replied, crouching down and fiddling with the equipment. "Give me a minute . . ."

Ben and Kathryn helped the soldiers unload the rest of the essentials, and then stood back to watch Connor make the final adjustments. The two soldiers that had arrived with them stood guard over him as he worked, leading Jenny to presume that Lester had ordered them to keep Connor alive until he'd shut the anomalies.

The seconds stretched on in a tense silence; bullets could still be heard close by, cracking loudly through the frozen air, accompanied by yells, both human and creature alike. Still, they hadn't seen a sign of any predators for a while, and a tiny flurry of hope had started building in Jenny's stomach - maybe they'd got them beat . . . maybe this wasn't a completely disastrous mission after all . . .

"Right, done," Connor said triumphantly as he straightened up.

"Are you sure?" Jenny asked, not wanting to sound as though she doubted his abilities, but as the same time, not quite allowing herself believe that this would actually work.

"Yes . . . well, sort of," he replied, not quite squashing her fears. "Right, stand back."

Everyone did as they were told, and watched apprehensively as Connor reached forward with a shaking hand, his palm hovering over a big red button. He took a deep breath, as though preparing himself for the worst . . .

With gritted teeth, he slammed his hand down on the button, and immediately, the anomaly in front of them withered, as though it was having the energy sucked out of it. Then, mercifully, it shrank into a small, floating sphere; still visible, but unmistakably closed.

"YES!" Connor cheered, raising his arms in celebration.

From beside her, Jenny felt Ben let out a shaky laugh and rub his hands over his face. She glanced around at the other anomalies, and her spirits soared when she noticed that, slowly but surely, they were closing also.

"Good work!" she exclaimed, rushing over and throwing her arms around Connor's neck and planting a quick kiss on his cheek, the pain in her chest now more of a dull aching, completely overshadowed by utter joy.

When they broke apart, she smiled to see that Connor was blushing heavily. "S' nothing," he said bashfully, averting his gaze down to the floor and kicking the rubble under his feet.

Unable to wipe the grin off her face, Jenny glanced around at Ben and Kathryn to see them embracing also, both looking happier than she'd ever seen them.

Then something very strange happened.

A sudden marrow-chilling roar sounded next to them, and Jenny snapped her gaze around in time to see a Sabre-Toothed Cat sprinting passed, being fired at by at least five soldiers. As the massive feline was brought down, some of the bullets ricocheted off the pillar next to them.

As if in slow motion, Kathryn fell forward with a cry of pain. Ben reacted fast, catching her under her arms before she hit the floor. He attempted to keep her on her feet, but he couldn't seem to be able to support her dead weight.

"No Kathryn - no!" he shouted, as he ended up sinking backwards onto the ground, Kathryn in his arms.

As the shock ebbed away, Jenny found herself sprinting forwards before she was even aware that she was moving, and fell to her knees by their side. Ben raised his hand up that had been clinging onto Kathryn's back -

It was shining red with blood.

"No!" he yelled again, putting his hand up to stoke the side of the woman's pale face.

"Matt - " she cried, sucking in ragged breaths, pain etched on every line of her expression.

"You're going to be okay," he said immediately, his panic audible with every syllable he spoke. "Just - just keep looking at me, do you hear? Hey - " he shook her head slightly, causing her closing eyes to flutter back open again, "Just keep looking at me . . ."

"M' tired," she murmured, her green eyes unfocused as she looked up at him.

"I know you're tired, but you have to stay awake okay?" he replied in a forced-calm voice. "Just keep looking at me."

With what seemed like a tremendous effort, Kathryn reached up and clutched at Ben's top with a trembling hand. "M . . . M' sorry," she breathed, a tear cascading down her pale cheek.

"You've got nothing to be sorry for," he stated firmly. "You've done brilliantly."

Her eyes fluttered shut again, a crease appearing inbetween her eyebrows, telling Jenny she was in agony.

"Hey," Ben said again sharply, jolting her head so that she opened her eyes again. "Stay with me . . . just stay with me . . ."

"I - I - " she said, so quietly that it was almost inaudible.

Ben leant his head forward and tilted his ear towards her chalk-white lips. Jenny couldn't hear what was said, but whatever it was made Ben's face contort with sorrow. When he straightened up, something in the depths of Kathryn's green eyes seemed to disappear, leaving them fixed, blank and lifeless.

"Kate? Katie!" Ben yelled, shaking her head to try and rouse her.

Jenny squeezed her eyes shut and looked away, the emotion too much for her to take. By the time she looked back, Ben was resting his forehead against Kathryn's, her wavy blonde hair splayed out over the crook of his arm.

"Come back . . . please come back . . ." he murmured over and over again as he rocked her back and forth.

"Ben - " Jenny began, her eyes stinging with the tears she was trying desperately to hold back.

He shook his head, forcing her into silence.

Gently, he reached forward and closed Kathryn's eyes and then slowly set her down on the floor.

When he got to his feet, he was shaking from head to toe.

"Who fired that shot?" he asked in a deadly whisper, his gaze set at a point behind Jenny.

She turned to see five soldiers standing by the carcass of the Sabre-Tooth, all watching the scene before them with impassiveness.

"I SAID WHO FIRED THAT SHOT!" Ben bellowed, starting towards them, his eyes glinting furiously.

The soldiers all raised their guns at him in unison.

"Ben!" Jenny shouted, scrambling to her feet and staggering over to him, her legs seemingly not working properly. "Stop!"

"One of them killed her!" he yelled, his face flushed with anger as he gestured over to the soldiers.

"It was an accident!" she cried, putting her hand on his chest to stop him. "They didn't mean to - "

"NO!" he exclaimed, turning and kicking the tyre of the SUV aggressively. "I KNEW - " he continued as he slammed his palms on the bonnet, " - I KNEW SHE COULD NOT HACK IT!"

"Sssh," Jenny soothed, reaching up and pulling him into a hug. "It's going to be okay . . ."

Jenny felt him stiffen immediately, but she continued to hold him until he relaxed into her embrace, his shoulders shaking with sadness and grief.


	31. Fairytale of New York

**I must apologise for the lack of Christmas cheer in this chapter considering it's Christmas Eve - it's just an unhappy coincidence that this part of the storyline ended up being written today lol!**

**Hope you enjoy anyway :D and happy Christmas everyone! Hope you have a fantastic day!**

**Nikki x **

**

* * *

**

Chapter 31

The world seemed unnaturally silent. There were no gunshots blasting through the air, no tortured screams or shouts. Just an eternal silence. The frosted ground was splattered with blood, and bits of rubble and bullet shells were scattered all over the concrete.

Ben had sunk to the floor, his face screwed up, tears making clear traces as they ran down his dust and blood smudged cheeks. Jenny was sitting next to him, her arm around his shoulders and her head resting against his, speaking soft words of comfort to him; empty, meaningless words, she knew, but she didn't know how else to help him.

Next to them, Jenny vaguely registered Connor speaking on his mobile to someone - possibly Abby, judging by his tone - and in the distance, the unmistakable sound of a helicopter could be heard.

"Listen," she whispered to Ben gently. "I need to go and speak to Connor for a moment okay?"

"No, don't leave me," he said immediately, clutching onto her arm.

She cupped his face to calm him. "I'm not going to leave you," she replied in the most reassuring voice she could muster. "I just need to see if everyone else is okay. I'll be right back."

He hesitated for a moment, before nodding reluctantly and letting his grasp on her fall. Jenny squeezed his arm in a gesture of reassurance before straightening up, wiping the wetness from her cheek as walked over to Connor.

"Who was that?" she said in a surprisingly steady voice as he hung up his mobile.

He looked around at her, his eyes looking full of sadness. "Abby," he said, hanging his head. "She found Sarah . . . she's injured - "

"What?" Jenny gasped, feeling her stomach clench.

"It's not serious," he replied quickly. "It's a broken leg. They're waiting for the ARC medics to pick them up now."

Jenny let out an exhale of relief, and ran her hand back through her tangled hair. "And Nick? Have you heard anything off him?"

Connor shook his head. "No. I've been trying his mobile, but he's not answering."

Jenny looked away for a moment, trying to squash the panic that immediately flared up inside her . . . just because she hadn't heard off him didn't mean that something was wrong. After all, no news wasn't necessarily bad news.

"Can I use your phone?" she asked Connor, holding out her hand expectantly.

Without question he handed it over, and immediately, Jenny dialled Nick's number. "Keep an eye on him," she added to Connor, gesturing over to a broken-looking Ben as she held the mobile up to her ear. "Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

Connor nodded and she offered him a weak smile before walking away, phone still clamped to her ear as she staggered slightly in the debris.

_Ring ring . . . ring ring . . . ring ring . . ._

"Jenny, there's still creatures out there!" Connor yelled after her.

She waved her hand impatiently to shush him and continued to walk towards the place where she had last seen Nick - the place where his hand had been wrenched from hers.

_Ring ring . . . ring ring . . . ring ring . . ._

"Come on Nick," she whispered to herself in aspiration. "Answer your bloody phone . . ."

_Ring ring . . . ring ring . . . ring ring . . _

She passed several soldiers, who were busy checking for signs of life from the nameless bodies that littered the street, and so they payed her no heed. Creatures corpses lay intermingled with the fallen soldiers, making the scene look like something from a badly-written horror film.

_Ring ring . . . ring ring . . . ring ring . . ._

Running her hand over her forehead in frustration, Jenny cancelled the call, before redialling it immediately. She was almost at the decimated building that the Brachiosaurus had obliterated effortlessly with its gigantic bulk. Her eyes scanned the rubble frantically, heart fluttering as she imagined Nick trapped under there . . .

It was at that moment that Jenny heard it. She pulled the still-calling phone away from her ear, and strained to listen for the noise she had just picked up on . . . that instantly recognisable sound.

"_I could have been someone," _a husky man's voice sounded, muffled. _"Well so could anyone . . ." _a woman's voice sang,_ "You took my dreams from me . . . when I first found you . . ."_

It was Nick's ring tone; she was sure of it.

"Nick!" she shouted blindly, her excitement that she could hear his phone and her dread that he wasn't answering it both fighting out for top billing. "Nick!"

She strained to listen again, trying to work out where the sound was coming from so she could follow it.

"_The boys of the NYPD Choir were singing Galway Bay . . . And the bells were ringing out for Christmas Day . . ."_

As her eyes adjusted to the growing darkness, she spotted a figure lying against the rubble.

Complete and utter shock took hold of her, and she let the mobile fall out of her hand and smash loudly on ground, her mind going blank. The whole world seemed to shrink, and she felt as though the air had been sucked out of her lungs.

It was him. She knew it was. And he wasn't moving.

"NICK!" she screamed as the shock vanished, only to be replaced by soul-crushing panic.

She staggered over to him, her legs feeling like lead. After what seemed like an age, she reached him, and fell to his side.

"Nick!" she shouted again, shaking him by the shoulders, desperate for him to give a sign of life.

Then, with mingled relief and horror, she noticed that he was shaking violently; his skin glistening with sweat, and his breathing thready and broken. With a sob, she heaved his shoulders up and rested them on her lap; she could feel the intense heat radiating off him, and his body was incredibly limp.

"Nick, talk to me!" she cried, shaking him again. "Nick!"

His eyes fluttered open slightly, although they were heavy and unfocused as he looked up at hers. The ghost of a smile flickered across his lips as he shut his eyes again.

"I - I h-hoped I w-would get t-to see you a-again," he breathed, his teeth chattering so much it was hard to understand what he was saying.

"Just - just don't speak," she said wildy, not wanting him to use all his energy up trying to talk. "Just told on."

As she held him, she could see no sign of physical injury, confusing her as to why he was in such a state. Then, as her hand brushed against his chest, she felt hot stickiness against it. Squinting her eyes, she spotted a large tear in his shirt, and she ripped it further, all the better to see.

"Christ!" she gasped; the wound was so bad that she had to look away for a moment, putting her free hand to her mouth to stop herself heaving.

It was a single puncture mark near his shoulder, deep and bloody, oozing some sort of clear liquid.

"CONNOR!" she screamed, so loud that her throat felt like it was going to tear. "CONNOR!"

She looked back down at Nick, her chest convulsing as she noticed his expression contorted in pain. His lips were ghostly white, and shaking, but he was still conscious. He opened his eyes again, and she noticed how dilated his pupils were.

"Jenny . . ." he began to say, not much above a whisper.

"Don't," she said firmly, shaking her head, knowing that he was going to say goodbye and not wanting to hear it. "Don't you dare think that you're going anywhere. You and I still have things to sort out."

He seemed to chuckle slightly, although he immediately gritted his teeth against the agony he must be in. He seemed to have lost the power of speech all together, but not long after, she felt his burning hot hand brush up against hers, and hold it weakly. She grasped it back, feeling the stinging tears fall thick from her swollen eyes.

"Please don't leave me," she sobbed, pulling his head up to rest against hers. "Don't you leave me here alone - "

Hurried footsteps could be heard scampering towards them, and out of nowhere, Connor was skidding on the floor next to her, panting.

"Oh my God - oh my God!" he exclaimed, looking at Nick's wound with shock. "What do we do - what do we do?"

"We need to get him back to the ARC medical team - all the hospitals are deserted," Jenny replied, trying to keep her voice even whilst all the time she wanted to break down. "Can you tell what did this to him?"

"Um . . ." he breathed, squinting to examine the puncture mark closer. "Arthropleurid," he answered eventually. "Stephen got bit by one before you joined the ARC. He needs anti-venom. I think it's on record at the ARC which kind - "

"Okay, then go and get the car Connor!" she snapped in her frustration, pushing him away. "Just go and get the car!"

"Okay," he nodded frantically, looking panic-stricken as he staggered backwards, his face as white as a sheet.


	32. The race

Chapter 32

The drive back to the ARC was like some sort of vivid nightmare - like it was all happening to other people and Jenny was just a spectator. Connor had ran to fetch the car - how long he was gone, Jenny couldn't even begin to guess - and to her vague surprise, he had brought Ben with him, carrying a bag full of something she didn't question, nor remotely care about at that time. All she cared about was getting Nick into the capable hands of the ARC medics.

Connor had ended up driving; indeed, Jenny doubted whether she'd be able to even handle the steering wheel considering how badly she was shaking. She was kneeling in the spacious back seat, Nick's head resting on her lap, and Ben had sat in the front passenger seat, glancing back every now and then, his cool detachment not quite masking the apprehension in his gaze. He had already given Nick a shot of painkiller that he had obviously stolen from the pharmacy before helping Connor carry him to the car, although Jenny knew he thought it pointless; it was clear that Ben thought he was going to die.

"Come on, stay with me . . ." Jenny mumbled to Nick as his eyes closed again, her hand on his clammy forehead. "Stay with me . . . can't you drive any faster?" she added to Connor sharply.

"I'm going as fast as I can!" he replied, his panic evident. "We'll be coming across the perimeter of soldiers soon, and I don't want to risk hitting one of them!"

"I'm serious Connor - he's not going to make it," she said, her voice trembling as her fingers felt for a pulse on Nick's neck - yes, it was still there, but so incredibly faint that she had trouble detecting it at first.

Connor looked around, his frightened eyes taking in Nick's almost translucent face and sickly sweat, before he turned back and slammed on the accelerator, clearly convinced that Nick wasn't going to survive if they didn't get back soon.

Jenny looked back down at Nick, hot tears still falling like a waterfall down her cheek. She noticed that his shaking was more pronounced now, and his breathing was coming in short, gargling pants as though he was struggling to draw air into his lungs. Ben seemed to have noticed this too, as he turned in his seat again, reaching back and placing the palm of his hand on Nick's chest. Whatever he was looking for, he clearly wasn't happy with his discovery, and immediately, he clambered into the back seat, looking grim as he settled by Nicks legs and leaned forward, pressing his ear up against Nicks ribs.

"Respiratory system failing," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else as he straightened up.

"What?" Jenny gapped, dread pumping through her.

"His lungs are filling with blood," he said more clearly as he reached into the front seat and dragged his mysterious bag back with him. "Pull over," he added to Connor sharply as fished inside it.

"What?" Connor exclaimed. "I can't - we haven't got time - "

"If I don't do this now, he'll be dead in a few minutes. Pullover!" he barked, pulling out a medical kit and unzipping it quickly. "Lucky we came across a pharmacy - "

"What are you going to do?" Jenny demanded as Connor pulled over at the side of the deserted road.

"Drain the fluid," he replied absently as he pulled out a large, foreboding needle and held it up to his eyes.

"You can't be serious!" Jenny argued, her heart palpitating. "You don't know what you're doing - "

"Look, it's our only option!" he interrupted forcefully. "And I've done this enough times, don't worry."

"I thought you didn't care if he lived or died?" Jenny pointed out cruelly.

"Yes, but _you_ do," he replied shortly. "Oi, I'll need you back here," he added to Connor, who immediately scrambled out of the drivers seat and rounded the car, opening the door behind Jenny.

"What can I do?" he asked in a jittery voice, poking his head over Jenny's shoulder.

"I need you both to hold him down by his arms," Ben replied, distracted as he took out a syringe from the bag and fixed it to the needle, giving off the air of someone who knew what he was doing. "There's no time to anaesthetise the area, so it's going to bloody hurt him, and he's going to struggle. Can you both do that?"

"Yes," Connor answered immediately, a determined look in his eye as he reached forward and pulled Nick's left arm up and held his shoulder down firmly.

"Mum?" Ben pushed, looking Jenny directly in the eye.

Hesitating, she glanced back down at Nick, watching him as he took another pained, wheezing breath.

They had no choice.

"God, please forgive me," she sighed as she took his arm and pressed down on his shoulder. "Just do it," she added to Ben numbly.

He nodded, his hand travelling across Nicks ribs, prodding gingerly as though trying to find the exact spot. Eventually, he paused over a certain area, and held the needle over it; his hand surprisingly steady, and his expression one of intense concentration. He took a deep breath, before plunging the needle directly into the torso.

Immediately, Nick jolted and tensed, moaning in complete and utter agony. Trying to ignore her horror, Jenny continued to hold him down tightly, and felt Connor doing the same from beside her. Slowly, Ben drew a large amount of deep red liquid into the syringe, his tongue between his teeth in concentration. Eventually, he withdrew it and threw the used needle over Connor's head and out of the car. As he busied himself with making another syringe, Jenny felt Nick relax slightly, his eyes fluttering as though he was trying to open them.

"It's nearly over," she whispered into his ear, feeling the heat blazing off him as though he was a radiator. "You've done amazingly . . . just hold on . . ."

Ben repeated the procedure on the right side of Nick's chest; the sound of his pained shouts causing the bile to rise in Jenny's stomach. She tried to compose herself and keep holding him down, but she found that she had to look away from the horrific sight or else she was going to break down herself. Connor looked as white as a sheet next to her; his eyes wide with shock and swimming with tears.

After a few intense and painful moments, Ben finally withdrew the needle.

"That should do him until we get back," he stated in a small voice as he straightened up.

Jenny, however, barely took in anything he said. As soon as the needle was withdrawn from Nick's chest, she staggered out of the car, and before she could stop herself, she bent over and vomited at the side of the road, the foul stink of blood and the echos of her husbands agonising screams too much . . . it was _all_ too much . . . she almost _felt_ his pain . . . _felt _it as though it had been her chest getting stabbed.

Gentle arms were around her shoulders, kind and comforting, and when she eventually brought herself to straighten up, she saw that it was Connor. His face was drawn, and he looked as though he was about to be violently sick himself, but he seemed to keep himself together as he pulled her into a hug. She clung to his shaking arm tightly, and he held her patiently as she sobbed.

"That - that was horrible - " she cried, her voice muffled in Connor's jumper.

"I know," he replied, his voice tense. "But it's over now . . . it's over . . ."

From over Connor's shoulder, Jenny saw that Nick looked as pale as ever, although breathing seemed to have become a lot easier for him. Ben was leaning over him, dressing his fresh wounds, not a hint of a reaction on his tanned face.


	33. Dancing Queen

Chapter 33

Jenny was sat back in a very uncomfortable rickety chair beside Nick's hospital bed, staring blankly up at the long artificial light above her. She had a luke-warm coffee clutched in her hand that Abby had got for her before she had left, but Jenny only continued to sip it to have something to do with her fidgety hands. Her stomach felt horribly clenched, full of nauseating terror that re-doubled every time she glanced down at Nick's drawn and ill-looking face.

_If he dies, that's it . . ._ she thought to herself, _I can't go on without him . . ._

Truth be told, they hadn't been at the hospital very long. The ARC medical team had worked furiously to keep Nick alive until the hospitals re-opened, and he had then been transferred to the nearest one immediately. Connor and Abby had been by, and she had vaguely heard them telling her that the remaining creatures had been contained, and the anomalies had disappeared entirely, not that she even really cared at this point. Apparently, the creatures bodies had been destroyed, and the after-team were in the midst of cleaning up the city before the evacuated public could be all moved back in.

_All meaningless, _Jenny had thought to herself, but she had nodded along as best she could, trying to look like she actually gave a damn about the public.

But now, quite frankly, a million anomalies could open up all around the world and she still wouldn't move from beside Nick's bed. As she stared at him some more, she did notice that he looked a little better since he had been given the anti-venom; at the very least, he had stopped having fits, which she was sure was a good thing. But the doctors had told her that, even with the anti-venom and with his wound stitched up, his chances of survival were slim.

Both Abby and Connor had wanted to stay with Jenny as she waited for Nick to regain consciousness, but she had insisted that they go and check on how everything was coming along, not being able to cope with anyone else's emotions on top of her own. Begrudgingly, they had left, leaving her to her own horrific thoughts.

_Why _hadn't she been able to forgive Nick when she'd had the chance? _Why _couldn't she have just swallowed her bloody pride and accepted his apology? Now, she may never be able to take it all back. She may never get to tell him that she still loved him.

And it was killing her.

Sighing heavily, her thoughts unwillingly drifted to all those times when they had been happy. There were too many to count of course, but one in particular seemed to float to the front of her mind, causing her to smile faintly.

x x x

_Jenny tapped her pen impatiently against the bulky file in front of her, unable to summon the will to keep filling in all these soul-crushingly dull reports. She glanced up absently, and her eyes rested on a disgruntled-looking Cutter, who was making his way across the ARC main room. She laughed to herself as she noticed that he was covered in some sort of slimy gunk._ _Something must have happened at the anomaly he had just come back from. She watched him as he said something to Lester, before turning his heel and walking of towards the locker room - probably to wash all the muck off him._

_She looked back down at her file, and the small part of her that was still an immature student whispered to her that the mound of work would still be there when she got back. Smiling to herself again, she stood up and straightened out her pencil skirt, before strutting off in the direction of showers._

_When she reached them, she could hear the water running heavily, and she was greeted with a face full of steam when she pushed the wooden door open. There were several cubicles in there, but only one of them seemed occupied, the curtain of which had been haphazardly pulled across. In the gap between the curtain and the tiling; she could see Nick showering, completely oblivious to her presence._

_Stifling a laugh with difficulty, she reached up and pulled the curtain back in one swift motion. Nick looked round, his eyes widened with surprise, but as soon as he saw it was her, his face relaxed into a smile._

"_Get a bit messy at the anomaly sight, did it?" she asked, leaning against the cubicle with an amused grin._

"_Aye," he nodded, his eyes twinkling. "Are you here to supervise me to make sure I bathe thoroughly?"_

_She chuckled slightly and folded her arms. "Actually, I'm here to make sure that my fiancé didn't do himself serious injury before our wedding. I can't very well walk down the aisle if my husband-to-be has a head missing or something."_

"_But as you can see, I'm all here," he laughed, gesturing down to himself._

_She looked him up and down, inhaling slowly. "Yes you are," she stated with a sweet smile._

"_Well, now that you're here . . ." he trailed off, gesturing behind him. "Care to join me?" he asked cheekily._

_She laughed ruefully. "Well now that you mention it . . ." she said slowly and deliberately, reaching up and beginning to unbutton her white blouse, ". . . filling in reports all day is dirty work . . ."_

_He reached forward and pulled her into the cubicle with him, grinning from ear to ear as he closed the curtain behind them. The hot water cascaded over them both as they kissed, and his hands travelled up her body slowly, before ripping the saturated blouse from her shoulders with a sense of urgency._

_He pushed her up against the cold tiles as their kiss deepened -_

_The shower room door suddenly burst open and they broke apart quickly, both automatically looking around to see if the curtain was going to be pulled open. As Jenny strained her ears, she heard a cheerful-sounding whistle over the sound of running water._

_It was Connor._

_Jenny exchanged a look of mingled shock and amusement with Nick as the sound of a second shower being turned on became discernable. They could hear Connor shuffling out of his clothes, still whistling loudly._

_Finding the whole situation rather hilarious, Jenny giggled slightly, putting her forehead on Nick's shoulder. _

"_Ssh!" he hissed in her ear, still keeping her pressed against the wall, looking completely mortified. _

_Then, unexpectedly, Connor started singing at the top of his lungs._

"_And when you get the chance . . ." he belted out, badly out of tune, ". . . you are the Dancing Queen! . . . Young and sweet . . . only seventeeeeeeen!"_

_That was it - Jenny couldn't contain herself. She burst out laughing before she could stop herself, and immediately, Nick clamped his hand over her mouth, trying to stifle her._

"_Dancing Queen!" Connor continued, completely oblivious to Jenny's hysterics. "Feel the beat from the tambourine . . . OH YEAHHHHHH!"_

_Jenny doubled over in a silent fit of laughter, and Nick even smiled himself as he desperately tried to shush her. _

"_Youuuu can dance! Youuuu can jive! Having the time of you're life . . . OOOOOHHH!"_

"_Stop it woman!" Nick chided Jenny in an undertone, as she still shook with the effort of suppressing her laughing._

_Trying in vain to calm herself, Jenny took a deep breath, only to inhale a large mouthful of water as she did so, causing her to cough loudly._

"_Jesus Christ!" Cutter moaning in a resigned tone, clapping his hand to his forehead._

_However, Connor still seemed a completely unaware of their presence, and before long, he had left the shower room all together, taking his out of tune song with him._

_Jenny and Nick both looked at each other, and burst out laughing in unison. When they had finally composed themselves, Cutter reached up and brushed her drenched fringe away from her face. "Now . . . where were we?" he asked, raising his eyebrow._

_Later on, when she was dry and changed, Jenny headed over to the Anomaly Detector, holding a thin file in her hands. She reached Connor, who was swivelling casually in the chair, and dropped the file onto his lap._

"_Paperwork for you to fill in," she said, answering his quizzical look. _

"_Great . . . thanks . . ." he mumbled sarcastically as he picked up the file and began skimming through it._

"_You're welcome," Jenny replied as she turned to head back to her office, "Dancing Queen," she added with a grin._

_His head snapped up immediately, and his eyes were wide with shock. "But how - how did you - ?"_

"_Oh don't worry - your secrets safe with me," she said in a forced-serious voice, before giving him a wink and sauntering off, leaving him gapping in disbelief after her. _

x x x

What she wouldn't give to go back to that time. Everything was so much simpler back then . . . she had known exactly what she wanted out of life, and she had known that, no matter what, she and Nick were just meant to be. That was before she found the photograph of Clauida of course. God, how much she wished she'd never found it; then she and Nick would still be as happy as they ever were. Maybe ignorance certainly was bliss . . .

Straightening up and wincing slightly as her bandaged ribs gave a particularly nasty twinge, she put the polystyrene cup down on the table a little harder than she meant to, causing the now stone-cold coffee to slop everywhere. Cursing under her breath and shaking her damp hand, she didn't notice that Ben was in the room until he was standing right next to her.

"You okay?" he asked her, making her start.

"God, you really need to break this little habit you've got of creeping up on me!" she snapped, clutching her chest as her heart struggled to return to its normal rate.

"Sorry," he murmured, his cool gaze turning to Nick. "How is he?" he asked in a strained voice.

"Not good," she replied quietly, leaning back in the chair and focusing on Nick again. "They said that he's in a critical but stable condition. I mean, what the hell does that even mean? Surely you can only be one or the other?"

"They probably mean that he hasn't got much better, but he hasn't got much worse either," he replied in a tone that could be construed as comforting.

Jenny snorted and ran her hand over her forehead, feeling both physically and emotionally drained. She only looked up again when she felt Ben rest his hand on her shoulder.

"He might pull through you know," he said, squeezing her slightly.

"Do you even care?' she bit back, probably unnecessarily.

He withdrew his hand abruptly. "Well I'm here aren't I?"

"Well, it wasn't so long ago that you were talking about gassing him," Jenny pointed out, for some reason, finding arguing a good distraction.

"I saved his life," he snapped angrily.

"Begrudgingly," she muttered, jerking her foot impatiently. "Where have you been anyway?"

"With your boss," he answered, walking away from her and over to the window.

"James?" she asked, distracted as she looked round at him. "Why?"

"He was just informing me of his plans for myself and my colleagues," he replied, still gazing absently out of the window.

"And?" Jenny pushed.

"Well . . ." he began, turning round to face her and leaning back on the low window-sill. "My colleagues are to be kept here, in the ARC cells. Apparently, your boss wants to create a cover story for the media around them - say that they're the caught terrorists and all that."

"And you?" Jenny asked in trepidation.

"I'm to return to my own time," he said, not quite meeting her in the eye as he did so.

Jenny stood up, probably a little faster than was really wise considering her injuries. "But . . ." she began, not quite knowing why this information was as painful to hear as it was. "But you can't . . . too much will have changed - "

"I don't belong here mum," he interrupted in an unnaturally gentle tone. "Well, at least this version of me doesn't."

She walked up to him, and for the first time, he looked her in the eye, and she saw a flicker of sadness stare in their depths.

"You don't want to go," she guessed, making a statement, not asking a question.

He seemed to hesitate slightly before replying. "No," he conceded. "No I don't. But I've got to go. I can't just make a life for myself here."

"Why not?" she questioned.

He smiled slightly. "God, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you actually didn't want me to leave?"

"Well . . ." she said, shrugging slightly, "maybe I don't . . ."

His grin broadened. "Really? I though you hated me."

"You know that's not true," she said, shaking her head. "I - I - "

He reached over and rested his hand on her arm. "I'll miss you too," he said slowly, as though he didn't quite enjoy saying it, but sounding genuine all the same.

She returned his smile with a gentle one of her own. "Well, I knew that anyway," she said, raising her eyebrow at him. "I mean, how could you not?"

He chuckled slightly as he dropped his arm back down to his side. "God, one thing you can't be accused of is being modest is it?"

She shook her head slightly with a rye smile. "Not a chance. So when are you leaving?"

"Well . . . that's the thing . . ." he said, shifting his gaze to the floor again, looking rather guilty. "I've got to go now. I'm hear to say goodbye."

She snapped her head up, feeling unreasonably upset. "But - "

"Let's not make this any worse than it has to be," he cut her off, his usually cool eyes looking a lot warmer as he surveyed her. "I've done what I came here to do, and now I've got to go. Let's just leave it at that."

He held out his hand, taking her by surprise by his formality. Slowly, she put her hand in his, and he shook it briskly.

"It has honestly been a pleasure meeting you," he said, keeping a tight grip on her hand. "And even though half the time you made me want to bang my head against a brick wall, I honestly wouldn't take back getting to know you."

She smiled again, feeling tears well in the corners of her eyes. "Well, even though you kidnapped me and threatened to shoot me and all, it hasn't been totally horrible meeting you either."

He tittered slightly, and rested his other hand on top of hers. "Take care of yourself, yeah?" he said in firm voice.

She smiled, and with a curt nod, he dropped his hands from hers and turned to leave. She watched him go, feeling an overwhelming sense of loss that she wasn't sure what to do with on top of everything else. Then, suddenly and unexpectedly, he turned on his heel and marched back to her, pulling her into a firm but gentle hug. After her surprise had subsided, she hugged him back as tight as her sore ribs would allow, thinking that despite everything that had happened between them, she really wished that he could stay.

"I'm sorry for everything I put you through," he said in an unsteady voice, speaking into her hair. "I only did it all to - "

"I know," she interrupted firmly. "Thank you for saving my life - for saving _both_ of our lives," she corrected as they broke apart.

He nodded and planted a gruff kiss on her cheek. "Look after little mini-me won't you?" he said with a forced smile.

"Of course I will," she replied, looking to the ceiling to fight back the tears.

He nodded again, giving her a reassuring grin before backing away, and leaving the room without looking back again.

Breathing hard to calm herself down, Jenny ran her fingers back through her hair, feeling like she'd aged twenty years in these last few days. As her eyes absently travelled the room, they rested on a telephone sitting on the bedside table, and immediately, she walked over and picked it up, dialling quickly.

_Ring ring . . . ring ring . . . ring ring . . . _

"Hello, Felicity Lewis speaking?" a very familiar posh voice answered.

"Mum, it's me," she said, aware that her voice was still shaking, so she cleared her throat to try and restore a bit of normality to her tone.

"Jennifer!" her mother exhaled, sounding incredibly relieved. "Thank God you're okay! The stuff we've been hearing on the news - "

"How's Ben?" Jenny interrupted, not particularly interested in what garble Lester had fed to the journalists.

"He's fine," her mother replied, still sounding overjoyed to hear from her. "He's been asking for you non-stop though - "

"Mum - it's over," Jenny cut her off again. "The threats gone, and they're going to start moving the public back tomorrow. Is there any chance you could come back now?"

"Of course," she replied, sounding a little taken aback. "But if they're not letting anyone in until tomorrow - "

"If anyone gives you any hassle, just tell them to call me," Jenny informed her, knowing what she was going to say. "Come and meet me in the Royal Hospital with Ben."

"Hospital?" her mum exclaimed, sounding suddenly panicked. "What are you doing in the hospital?"

"It's Nick," she explained, her voice wavering again. "He's been hurt really badly."

"Why - what happened?"

"I - I can't say," Jenny replied automatically, although truthfully - she didn't think that _'Oh, a giant prehistoric centipede poisoned him' _would be very well received.

Her mother seemed to hesitate on the other side of the phone, as though she wanted to say something, but didn't know quite how to phrase it. "Is he going to be okay?" she asked eventually, actually sounding mildly concerned.

"I - " Jenny began, feeling the emotion build up in her chest. "I don't think so mum . . . not this time . . ."

"Then do you really think I should bring Ben to the hospital?" she asked tentatively. "Do you really want him to see his father like that - ?"

"I don't care mum," she snapped, her sorrow coming out as anger. "I want to see my son, okay?"

"Okay," her mum said hurriedly. "Okay - whatever you think's best. I'll see you in about five hours."

"Thank you," Jenny said shortly, before slamming the phone down with unnecessary force and turning her gaze back to her unconscious husband.


	34. The dream

Chapter 34

Cutter was aware that he was lying down on his back, although he had no memory of how he had gotten there. The gentle warmth of the sun brushed against his cheek like a soft kiss, and beneath his hands, he could feel fine soil that was as comfortable to lie on as any bed he had ever slept in. As he strained to remember what had happened, it suddenly occurred to him that the last time he had been conscious, he had been in a lot of pain, but for some reason, he couldn't quite remember why - but now, he noticed, he felt nothing but blissful blankness. He opened his eyes, and focused on some lush greenery a long way above him, the sun rays creeping through the gaps in the leaves. It really was a beautiful sight to behold. Feeling safe, warm and incredibly calm, he allowed himself a few moments to simply stare at the tree canopy, smiling to himself happily.

"I was wondering how long you were going to make me wait," a soft and slightly amused voice said from beside him.

He knew that voice all too well, and his heart seemed to fill with love as he sat up, his eyes frantically searching for the speaker. "Jenny?" he said, his voice coming out weirdly echoed.

Suddenly, his gaze fell on a woman who had been sitting next to him, her knees pulled up to her chest, and her long red hair flowing over her shoulders. The tranquility he had felt only moments before disappeared immediately. The woman smiled at him; a smile that was so familiar to him, and yet he hadn't seen it in many years.

"Claudia?" he whispered, feeling stunned - had the whole change in the evolutionary time line been a dream?

Her smile broadened and her soft brown eyes sparkled as their gazes met. "I've been waiting for you," she said, tilting her head to the side to see him better.

"But - " Cutter stuttered, still feeling overwhelmingly confused. "But, you - you don't exist any more - "

She laughed gently, and fixed him with a look that tugged directly at his heart strings. "Who says I exist now?"

"But . . ." he began again, shuffling so that he was directly facing her. "But Jenny . . . Ben - "

"They're fine," she interrupted, still positively beaming at him. "Jenny is sitting by your hospital bed as we speak."

"Hospital?" he repeated blankly, his mind still unable to grasp what was happening. "I'm in hospital?"

She nodded and looked away, her soft gaze looking out somewhere into the distance. "Apparently, whatever world you're in, you still manage to get yourself into trouble Nick," she said in a mock-stern voice that didn't quite hide her amusement.

"So what is this - a dream?" he pushed, unable to take his eyes off her.

She hesitated slightly, before shrugging. "Sort of."

"Where are we?"

She looked around at him again, a flicker of sorrow staring in the soft brown depths of those beautiful eyes. "Do you not know?" she asked, raising her eyebrow slightly.

Bemused, he tore his gaze away from her, and for the first time, took in his surroundings. They were in a forest - that he knew. He studied trees around them that were swaying slightly in the gentle breeze, and then his eyes fell on an anomaly, glittering innocently in the distance. The, unarguably, he knew where they were, and for the life of him, he couldn't understand how he hadn't realised sooner.

"The Forest of Dean," he said, looking back around at Claudia. "The last place we saw each other."

She nodded with a small smile, and Cutter noticed the light glinting in her rippling hair as she did so.

"Am I dead?" he asked, for the first time since he had woken feeling a pulse of panic.

"No," she replied softly. "Not yet anyway - "

"I - I don't - "

"You are very sick," she interrupted, her eyes swimming with sympathy. "You've been poisoned. Your body is trying to fight it, but the doctors aren't holding out much hope.

"But . . . but I can't die," he stuttered, feeling fear bubble in the pit of his stomach. "Not before I've made things right with Jenny."

"Well you could go back if you really want too," Claudia informed him calmly. "But it will mean putting yourself through a lot of pain and suffering."

"I still don't - " he began, but she silenced him immediately by reaching forward and taking his hand in her own.

"But it doesn't have to be like that," she spoke softly, her eyes holding his. "You don't have to feel any more pain. You can come with me now, and we can be together. With no more anomalies, and no more creatures - "

"What do you mean 'come with you'?" he asked, his brain suddenly feeling sluggish. "Where would we go?"

Her expression remained etched in sadness as she squeezed his hand comfortingly. "Somewhere that Jenny and Ben can't come," she replied. "Not yet anyway."

"But . . ." he stammered, unable to piece everything together. "But I need to be with her - "

"She's not me Nick," Claudia whispered gently. "She'll never be _me_. You know that - "

"I don't need her to be you," he replied immediately and entirely truthfully. "I love her just the way she is. I love _her_ - "

"And me?" she asked, sounding stung as she pulled her hand out of his.

He hesitated slightly before replying, "I think I did love you. And I think we could have had something really special. But life doesn't always work out like that. And Jenny . . ." he trailed off, his heart convulsing as he thought about her. " . . . she's everything to me now. She and Ben. They're the most precious things in the world to me."

"So you won't come with me?" she asked, a sad resigned look on her face.

He leaned towards her slightly, letting himself take in her remarkable resemblance to Jenny. "I need to be with my wife and son. They need me, and I sure as hell need them."

She bit her lip and nodded slightly, although the hurt in her eyes made him feel a twinge of regret. "Do you hate me?" he asked softly.

Her face relaxed into a slight smile, and she looked around at him. "I'm a bit disappointed, yes. But I would have expected no less from you Nick Cutter."

He laughed weakly and reached forward to take her pale hand in his again. "I don't want to hurt you. But it's just that - "

"I know," she said in a reassuring voice, squeezing his hand. "Maybe in another life we would have worked out. But you have responsibilities now - I understand that you can't leave your wife and child."

"Well, that's if she'll take me back," he mumbled, his memory of past goings on returning to him slowly. "She wasn't very thrilled when she found out about you. I really hurt her."

"She just needed time," Claudia stated, her words laced with genuine affection. "I'm sure she'll realise how much you care about her. This hasn't been easy for anyone."

Her sympathy for his own predicament made him feel a rush of guilt for being so selfish - after all, no matter how much pain he and Jenny had been through, at least they still existed.

"Claudia?"

"Hm?"

"Are you - ?" he asked, but hesitated, unsure of how to phrase it. "Are you happy?" he landed on eventually.

She chuckled slightly, her eyes looking bright as her gaze met his again. "I'm at peace," she replied cryptically, but he didn't feel the need to question her further - it was clear by her general illuminance and composure that she was not suffering in any way. "You could be at peace as well if you wanted to be?" she added, raising a joking eyebrow.

He smiled at her persistence, which was a trait that both she and Jenny shared, but he shook his head. "I want to be with my wife. I _need_ to be with her."

"I know," she sighed. "Just thought I'd give it one more try. After all, if you go back, it's going to hurt an awful lot. Are you sure it's worth it?"

"_She's _worth it," he corrected, meaning every word.

Claudia sighed again, looking slightly crestfallen, but thankfully, not appearing to be too cross with him. "Okay then," she said, getting to her feet and brushing the loose earth off her pants. "It's time for you to go home," she added, offering both her hands out to help him to stand.

He let her pull him to his feet, and they stood looking at each other for a moment, hands still entwined. His eyes studied her face, still as soft and pale as he remembered, her eyes still full of the same warmth. But she wasn't his wife; well, genetically maybe, but environmental factors had meant that the two women had turned out entirely differently. He understood that now. And he also understood that Jenny was the woman for him, and not just because she looked like the lost love he was now holding.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to her, his own voice sounding faint and distant.

"Don't be," she breathed, taking a step closer to him. "It wasn't your fault. It just wasn't meant to be." She reached forward and brushed her hand up against his stubbly cheek. "Please take care of yourself," she said quietly, a pained look in her eye. "And get yourself well again."

"I will," he replied, reaching up and closing his hand around hers gently.

They stayed like that for some time, before Nick sniffed and composed himself. "So . . . how do I get home?" he asked.

"I think you know what you've got to do," she replied quietly, glancing behind his shoulder.

He looked around himself and spotted the anomaly again, winking at him invitingly. Of course . . .

He turned back to her, and she smiled, before planting a quick kiss on his cheek. "Goodbye Nick," she murmured, tears glistening in her eyes as she pulled away from him.

"Goodbye Claudia Brown," he said, feeling a drowning sadness take hold of him as he registered the loss of her touch.

He turned, and walked away slowly through the undergrowth, towards the flickering light. Before he could bring himself to go through, he couldn't help but turn back to see her again one more time. She was watching him go, tears running down her freckled cheeks, and when their eyes met for the last time, she raised her hand and offered him a slight wave, and a reassuring smile. He nodded back, before turning back to the anomaly, Jenny's face emblazoned in his mind as he stepped forward into the blinding light.

* * *

Jenny sat stiffly in the place that she had been occupying for the last few days - beside Nick's hospital bed. She had leaned forward to rest her elbows next to him, tiredness consuming her, and had sunk her head into her hands, watching Nick's thready breathing.

_Why hadn't he woken up yet?_ she thought to herself for the millionth time._ He should have come around by now . . ._

The last couple of days had passed her in a complete blur. Her mother had brought Ben round like she had asked, and Jenny had sunken to her knees upon seeing her son, hugging him tight, her relief so overwhelming that she found herself crying as she stroked him hair. She had wanted to take him home immediately, tuck him up in bed herself, and hold him all night while he slept.

But she couldn't bring herself to leave Nick. He needed her here, and in spite of herself, she knew she needed to be there incase he took a turn for the worst.

So she had reluctantly sent Ben to stay with her mother for a while, taking comfort in the fact that he was safe, and seemed to be happy.

"_Daddy's just sleeping," _she had told him. _He want's to be all refreshed for when he gets to see you again."_

He had believed her story without question, his blue eyes blinking up at her, filled with so much love and trust.

_God, she hoped she was telling him the truth._

Sniffing to compose herself, she glanced back up at her husbands pale face, watching as his oxygen mask steamed slightly with his exhale. With a deep sigh, she reached down and took his cold hand, grasping it tight in the hope that he would reciprocate.

"Don't you dare think that you can just leave me here," she said, leaning closer to whisper in his ear. "You're not leaving me to raise our son by myself."

Nothing. Not even an eye flutter.

She screwed up her face to stop herself crying, and looked down at his hand. "You can't die before we have a chance to patch things up. I won't let you. I refuse to let you take the easy way out of this. I . . ." she trailed off, feeling tears fall from her swollen eyes. ". . . I need to tell you that I forgive you . . . and I need you to be conscious when I do, otherwise it means nothing . . ." she stopped again, reaching up and wiping the wetness off her cheeks. "I want you to come home," she admitted, her voice wavering with sadness. "I want us to be a family again, and I want another kid . . ." she cut herself off, leaned back in her chair, the emotion too much to bear.

What was the point? He couldn't hear her . . .

Sniffing again to regain her composure, she stood up, vaguely thinking that she should go and get her tenth coffee of the day for a distraction, but she had only taken a few paces towards the door before a muffled voice spoke unexpectedly from behind her -

"Jenny . . ."

She froze, hardly daring to believe her ears, before turning back, her heart beating somewhere in her throat.

Nick's eyes were open a crack, and his hand was up at his mask, pulling it down so that he could speak better.

"See, I thought I was in heaven then," he said in an incredibly croaky voice, a slight smile flickering across his whitened lips. "But now I see you're here, it must be more like Purgatory - "

Jenny exhaled a intensely relieved sigh as she quickly moved back to his bedside, her happiness at seeing him conscious drowning her in dizziness. "You scared the hell out of me," she stated in a shaking voice as she grabbed his hand, her tears now unstoppable.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice still sounding scratched, but his eyes beaming as they met hers. "But I do try not to get myself killed you know."

"Well, you need to try harder in the future," she replied, stroking his hair back and planting a kiss on his forehead. "I - I thought - "

"I know," he breathed, wincing as though in agony, but he managed to squeeze her hand weakly. "But do you really think I'd ever leave you Jenny Lewis?"

She gave him a watery smile, feeling hope swell inside her like a balloon. "I think you'll find it's Jenny Cutter actually."

* * *

**:D one more chapter to go!**

**Hope your all reading and enjoying! X**


	35. The end?

Chapter 35

It was evening, and Jenny sat on her living room couch with Ben curled up on her lap. She stroked his soft hair and breathed in his comforting smell as she read one of his many books to him, and she could sense that he was drifting off to sleep, his head lulling back on her chest and his breathing becoming gentle and rhythmic. Despite the fact that he was exhausted, she had promised him that he could stay up until Nick returned from the hospital, which - she glanced at the clock on the fireplace - should have been a couple of hours ago. He had to wait for his final test results to come back before he was to be discharged, and Jenny had wanted to pick him up herself, but Ben was unsettled as it was, and she didn't think it good parenting to drag him out to pick his father up from the hospital when he should be tucked up in bed. She also hadn't fancied getting a babysitter in; she had spent enough time apart from her son to last her a life time. So, reluctantly, she had arranged for Connor to fetch Nick.

Gently, she put the book down on the cushion next to her, and with a sigh, she wrapped her arms around her son and buried her face deeper in his hair.

_Where is he?_ she thought to herself with another nervous glance up at the clock. _What if his test results had come back with bad news? But still, surely he would have called . . ._

She jumped slightly as the doorbell sounded out of the blue, and Ben jolted in her arms. "I'm awake . . ." he mumbled sleepily. "I'm awake mummy . . ."

"Sssh," Jenny said softly in his ear as she gently lay him down on the couch, before straightening up and hurrying to answer the door.

Nick stood there, a bag strap over his shoulder, beaming from ear to ear, and she felt a rush of elevating relief that actually made her feel a tad light headed. He still didn't look a hundred percent yet - his sickly flush still hadn't disappeared entirely, and it was clear that he'd lost quite a bit of weight - but he looked a hell of a lot stronger than he had done the past two weeks, especially sans hospital gown.

Letting out an excited squeak that was a little too girly for her personality but completely unavoidable at that time, she flung herself into his waiting arms and pulled him into a kiss. His lips were a little drier and colder than she remembered, but so wonderfully familiar that the second he started to kiss her back, she found herself lost in him.

"Steady on!" Connor chuckled nervously from behind Nick, and immediately, Jenny pulled away, feeling a twinge of embarrassment - she hadn't even took in his presence.

Blushing slightly, she looked at Connor and saw that his eyes were everted to the floor, and he was shuffling his feet awkwardly, looking as though he had just walked in on his parents kissing.

"Sorry Connor," she smiled. "Public display of affection over."

"No it's fine - I'll just claw my eyes out and I'll be okay," he joked, his face bright red as he handed Jenny over another one of Nick's bags.

"You're not coming in?" Jenny asked him politely as she shouldered the bag.

He shook his head immediately, grinning sheepishly. "No, I'll give it a miss if that's okay. Before you change into your French Maids outfit or something and I have to be resuscitated."

"No, we only do that on weekends," Nick interjected, raising a joking eyebrow.

Jenny dug him in the arm with a mock-scandalized look, and Connor grimaced. "Ew! I was joking!"

"So was he, don't worry about that!" Jenny said hurriedly, completely mortified. "And if he's not careful, it'll be the last joke he ever makes."

Once they'd said their goodbyes to a still-embarrassed looking Connor, Nick put his arm around Jenny's shoulders and they made their way back to the living room, finding Ben sitting up waiting for them, rubbing his sleepy eyes.

"Daddy!" he exclaimed weakly as he hoisted himself down from the couch and put his arms up. "I missed you!"

Nick dropped his bag to the floor immediately and scooped Ben up in his arms, letting out a relieved noise from his throat. "God, I missed you too son."

"I stayed up for you," Ben said as he threw his little arms around Nick's neck. "Mummy said I could . . ."

Jenny watched the joyous exchange with a smile on her face, feeling a warm glow spread in her stomach. This is exactly what she had been yearning for since the separation - to see them all together again as a family. It was just a pity that they had to all nearly die before she saw sense.

"Okay sweetheart, time for bed," she said to Ben with a contented smile.

"Aww," he sighed, looking crestfallen as he looked over Nick's shoulder.

"Our deal was that you could stay up until daddy came home," she reminded him as she held out her hands. "Now say goodnight."

Reluctantly, Ben extended his own arms to her and allowed her to take him. "Night daddy."

"Night son," Nick smiled, planting a gruff kiss on his head.

"Will you be here when I wake up?" Ben asked his dad, blinking his big pleading eyes.

"Of course I will," Nick grinned, making eye contact with Jenny as he did so.

She flashed him a smile before turning and carrying Ben up the stairs. She put him straight to bed, and his eyes began closing before his head had even hit the pillow. She smiled and stroked back his hair before planting a kiss on his forehead. As she straightened up and turned to leave, he mumbled sleepily, "Mummy?"

She turned back to him, noticing that his heavy eyes had opened again. "Hm?"

"Is daddy going to stay with us now?" he asked quietly.

"Of course he is," she smiled, feeling a rush of relief that she was actually telling him the truth for once.

"For ever?" he said, his tired face lighting up with excitement.

"For ever and ever," she stated, crouching down and turning on his night light.

"Wicked," he mumbled, a smile on his face as his eyes fluttered closed again.

Jenny sighed happily, and leaned against the door frame, crossing her arms and watching her son sink into a peaceful sleep. As she did so however, the image of the other him that she had met crept into her mind, completely unbidden, squashing any contented feelings in a wave of dread. For the millionth time, she found herself wondering how such a sweet boy could turn in to the man who had kidnapped her and plotted to gas the whole of London. If she wouldn't have seen it with her own eyes, she would never have believed it. She knew older Ben wasn't without redemption of course - after all, he had save both Nick and herself - but his outlook on humanity had certainly been warped beyond repair.

When she got back downstairs, she found Nick waiting for her in the living room, still beaming as though it was Christmas day.

"God, I've missed this place," he sighed, reaching forward and pulling her into an embrace.

"Well it's missed you too," she said, resting her head against his shoulder and shutting her eyes. "So have the occupants."

He chuckled. "Well that's good to know. You know what else I've missed?"

"What?"

He disengaged himself from her, and lifted her chin up so that their lips met tenderly. "Being able to do that whenever I want," he continued stated as they broke apart.

She smiled, but he must have been able to read the worry in her expression, because he frowned suddenly, his sparkling blue eyes studying her face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she answered instinctively. He raised a doubtful eyebrow, telling her that he didn't believe her for a second. With a sigh, she pulled away from him and flopped down on the couch. "I'm just thinking about Ben."

"He seems fine," Nick said as he sat down next to her, leaning back so their faces were only inches apart.

"Well yes, he seems fine now," she huffed, jiggling her foot nervously. "But I've seen him twenty-six and walking around killing people."

He reached forward and took her hand, entwining her fingers in his. "That's not going to happen now."

She shook her head, and bit her lip slightly. "We don't know that - "

"We do," he said in a patient tone, squeezing her hand comfortingly. "The futures changed. He's not going to grow up in that world anymore."

"I know but - "

"Jenny," he interrupted firmly, catching and holding her gaze. "Everything's going to be alright now. I promise you, we're not going to let him turn out like that. You're a fantastic mother, and I don't think I'm a terrible father either - "

"Of course you're not!" she interjected.

"Well then, trust me," he continued in a gentle tone, "Everything's going to turn out fine. And at least we know he's not going to be ugly when he grows up - that means we're going to have beautiful grandkids," he finished, raising his eyebrows jokingly.

She smiled faintly as she remembered the photograph of the cute little girl that older Ben had showed her. The picture of his gorgeous daughter. Maybe, with a bit of luck, one day she would get to meet her after all.

"Yes, I suppose," she agreed, relaxing slightly.

"Jenny?" he said tenatively.

"Hm?"

"You know when I came round in the hospital?" he began in a forced-calm tone.

"Yes?" she questioned, distracted as she moved Ben's book that she was sitting on.

"Well - and I might be wrong about this - I could have sworn I heard you say something," he continued, looking at her with a rueful smile.

"Oh really? What?" she asked, completely nonplus as to what he was going on about.

"Well . . ." he said, shrugging slightly, ". . . I thought I heard you say that you wanted more kids?"

She froze, completely thrown off guard

_Oh God . . . ._

She had thought he had been unconscious at that point.

When her eyes finally crept up to meet his, she saw with a twinge of relief that he was smiling, his eyes crinkled.

"Do you?" he pushed, clearly not taking her silence as an answer.

"Well - " she stammered, feeling ambushed. Yes, she did want more children. But she hadn't envision telling him so whilst he was in a coma for gods sake! "Well, what I meant was that it'd be a conversation."

"A conversation?" he repeated, the amusement evident in his voice.

"Yes, a conversation," she said, fixing her gaze on the floor, reluctant to say much more. "I didn't mean that I want more kids now. I mean, we don't have to have any more at all. It was just a thought - "

"I want another kid too," he interrupted in a matter-of-fact tone.

Her eye flew around to meet his again. "You do?"

"Of course I do," he smiled. "I just never expected you to. I mean, I know you're amazing with Ben, but I never though of you as the type of woman to want any more children."

"Well . . . maybe I do," she said with a slight shrug.

"Okay then," he nodded, his tone clearly implying that the conversation was over as far as he was concerned.

"'_Okay then' _what?" she gapped, not quite believing her ears.

"Okay, let's try for another," he said in a light, conversational tone as though they were talking about the weather.

"But - " she stuttered, wondering if he was joking or not. "Nick, we can't just say we'll try for another.

"Why not?"

"Because . . ." she began, nearly laughing in incredulity. "Because we both nearly died not so long ago . . . and you've only just got out of hospital - "

"What, are you saying that I'm not up to the task?" he laughed, sounding slightly stung.

"No, of course not," she hurriedly corrected herself. "But we've only just got back together - "

"Jenny," he interrupted, squeezing her hand to silence her. "I love you. I always have, and I always will. And the thought of having more children with you makes me the happiest man on the planet. And about the break up - who were we kidding? We've never been apart. Not really."

She smiled slightly, resting her head back on the couch. "I think you need to cut down the medication they gave you at the hospital."

He chuckled and leaned forward toward her, his hand cupping her face and pulling her into a kiss. Immediately, her mind went blank, and she kissed him back. His hand travelled down her side, slowly and deliberatly -

She pulled away for a moment as her brain started up again. "No, Nick - we can't just say we're going to try for more kids . . . we need to actually talk about it for more than sixty seconds . . ."

Clearly not listening, he pulled her so that she was sitting across his lap, and started kissing down her neck. Again, she lost her train of thought, and tilted her head back, enjoying the tickling sensation of each breathy kiss and the shivers that ran down her spine.

"No, Nick . . ." she tried again as she came to her senses. ". . . we need to think about this properly . . . I'd have to take more leave away from the ARC, and we don't know how volatile the anomalies are going to be from now on . . ."

He reached down and ripped her blouse open, causing her to gasp as the buttons to scattered all over the couch and rolled onto the floor. His lips travelled down her collar bone, soft and teasing, and his hands wandered up her back, making her skin tingle.

"But what about all the night feeds and nappy changing . . ?" she added in a last pathetic attempt to stop the inevitable.

With one swift motion, he picked her up and pinned her against the couch with surprising strength considering he'd been on deaths door not so long ago, before settling on top of her.

"Are you quite finished?" he asked her in an amused voice as he brushed her fringe away from her eyes with gentle fingers.

"Yes," she breathed immediately.

"Thank god," he chuckled, before leaning forward to take her lips again, one hand ripping the already torn blouse from her shoulders, the other tracing a soft line up her thigh.

She kissed him back, matching his passion for her with her own overwhelming need for him.

So what if they'd been to hell and back the past six months? Did that mean that they couldn't just allow themselves to be happy again? That they couldn't slip back into normality? Well, what was normal for them anyway, which in itself wasn't what would generally be referred to as regular. Yes, there were a lot of painful memories to deal with, but they were in the past now, and should stay there.

Before long, their clothes were strewn all over the floor, thrown aside haphazardly, and without further regard. Jenny moaned softly against his ear as her hands ran down his back, her nails making deep track marks along the skin there. Her heart raced as his warm lips made their way back up her neck, his panting hot breath on her cool skin, before his mouth eventually found hers again. She lost her hands in his hair, tugging and caressing, while his skilled fingers finished what they had started on their ascent up her inner thigh.

Now that they were back together - she thought as she completely lost herself in the waves of bliss washing over her - they had a lifetime together to make some more wonderful memories of their own choosing. There were no more thoughts of Claudia; no more jealousy about old lovers, and no more apprehension about ex wives.

Just them.

Just their family, and the routine they'd created for themselves.

Just the way it should have always been.

* * *

**Aww, I'm really sad this story has come to an end :( although it will be a lot easier for me to revise now lol!**

**A massive thank you to all the people who have read and reviewed: CakeyxClickx, sopheezmum, jojokidi, Stephanieella96, Nathol99, Kathryn Hart and Squabble :D i would no way have been able to write 35 chapters out of what was originally only intended to be a one-shot without your encouragement. So thank youuuuuu :)**

**I've got another rough idea for a Nick/Jenny story, but unfortunately it'll have to wait 3 weeks until after my exams :(**

**Nikki x**


End file.
